This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
This article was automatically translated from Hibapress, the Arabic version:
Heba Press – Essaouira
The first instance court of Essaouira rendered its decision in the case of the two young men accused of participation in the management of the page “Essaouira under the microscope” on Facebook, a page which triggered a generalized controversy in the region after having published images of a number of security men and legal officials, in addition to certain citizens.
The published images included abusive and serious accusations, which aroused anger and tension among local circles.
The court sentenced the accused to three years’ imprisonment for each of them, in addition to a financial fine, with significant compensation for all the persons affected by defamation operations, including compensation for men of Security and judicial leaders in the amount of 20,000 dirhams for each of them, when it was decided to compensate for the rest of the citizens, including the affected women, with an amount of 10,000 dirhams per person.
This question is among the most important defamation problems that have been examined recently, and it should have a significant impact on how to manage the deceptive and abusive content on social media platforms, in particular with regard to legal responsibility of those who publish or circulate this information.
This strict judgment, at a time when defaming online incidents, shows the vivity of the Moroccan judiciary to protect the reputation of individuals, whether they are ordinary civil servants or citizens, and to improve the mechanisms of fighting against The dissemination of false news and abusive information.
