HIBAPRESS – Berkane
The Court of First Instance in the city of Berkane issued, on Tuesday, October 7th, prison sentences against three of the six defendants who were prosecuted for their participation in unauthorized protests organized by a number of young people known as "Generation Z". The court sentenced two people to two years in prison, while the third defendant was sentenced to one and a half years in prison, while it decided to acquit the other three of the charges against them.
The events of the case date back to protests that the city witnessed during the recent period, where the Public Prosecution accused the detainees of committing multiple acts, including armed gathering in public roads, contributing to organizing a demonstration that was banned, disobedience and incitement to it, in addition to breaking and damaging equipment intended for public benefit, using violence against members of the public force, as well as inciting the commission of felonies and misdemeanors, resisting the implementation of works ordered by the authority, public intoxication, and contributing to a fight that resulted in hitting and wounding. Despite the court relying in its ruling on official records and the testimonies of some parties, the defense expressed its intention to appeal the decision, considering that the trial was marred by several legal observations, especially with regard to the classification of charges and the lack of sufficient evidence to convict some of the accused. On the other hand, reactions varied between those who saw the verdicts as a firm message against anyone who violates the law, and those who considered it an unjustified tightening against young people who went out to express their positions, especially in light of the rising indicators of social and economic tension among this group. Between this and that, the "Generation Z" case remains one of the most prominent cases that have re-raised the problem of the balance between maintaining public order and guaranteeing freedom of expression in a changing context.
