08-05-2025
Appeals Court Reduces Mohammed Ziane's Sentence to 3 Years in Prison
Rabat – Morocco's Court of Appeals in Rabat has reduced the prison sentence of lawyer and former minister Mohammed Ziane from five years to three.
The decision was announced early Thursday morning, according to local reports, following a court session that lasted 12 hours, making it one of the longest hearings in this appeal process.
Ziane, who is 83 years old, was convicted of embezzling and misusing public funds, charges that have sparked wide public debate and drawn attention from local and international human rights groups.
The trial session, which began at noon on Wednesday and ended late at night, was attended by several lawyers from across Morocco, human rights activists, and citizens.
Ziane was initially sentenced in July 2024 to five years in prison by a lower court. His legal team appealed the decision and argued that the charges against him were politically motivated and related to his outspoken views as a lawyer and opposition figure.
During the latest court session, the public prosecutor reportedly called for a harsher sentence, while Ziane's defense requested the case be dropped altogether.
The previous head of the Moroccan Bar Association remains in prison, already serving a three-year sentence issued in February 2022. That case included around 11 charges, many of which human rights organizations have described as politically driven and connected to his criticism of the authorities.
In 2021, the Ministry of Interior filed a complaint against him for insulting national security institutions.
If the two sentences are combined, as is often the case under Moroccan law, Ziane could be released as early as November 2025, depending on whether he is granted a pardon. His age and worsening health condition have increased calls for clemency. Tags: courtMohammed Zianeprison
