Latest news with #NationalBrigade
Ya Biladi
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan activist jailed for «offensive» posts about Saudi Arabia
A court in the city of Khouribga sentenced, Monday, activist and member of the Justice and Spirituality Group (Al Adl Wal Ihsan), Mohamed Boustati, to one year in prison on charges of defamation. This verdict came after he posted comments on his Facebook account about the war in Gaza, which were deemed «offensive» to Saudi Arabia. In a statement, lawyer Mohamed Nouini explained that the trial was based on a complaint filed by Saudi intelligence services «regarding posts they considered offensive to Saudi institutions and symbols». He added that the posts under investigation involved «general political» criticisms of the stances of some Arab countries towards the war in Gaza and normalization with Israel, without providing details on the content of these posts. The lawyer also noted that the defendant «denied some of the accusations and stated that his Facebook account had been hacked». Nevertheless, the court ruled that the posts in question amounted to «defamation». On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, members of the National Brigade arrested Mohamed Boustati at his workplace in the city of Settat, and he was transferred overnight to Khouribga. He was presented before the public prosecutor of the same city on Friday, February 28, 2025, and was prosecuted in custody.
Ya Biladi
06-03-2025
- Ya Biladi
Defendants and witnesses confront in Bennis-Allaj-Slaoui rape case
The investigation into the alleged drugging and rape of a French lawyer by four men from prominent families continues. The case, widely publicized as the «Bennis-Alj-Slaoui» case, has recently concluded a phase of intensive interrogations and confrontations between the defendants, witnesses, and the accused. The newspaper Assabah reported, citing its sources, that the investigating judge heard from several witnesses who were present at the party where the crime is believed to have taken place. Despite the lawyer's fiancé withdrawing his complaint, he was summoned from prison to give his testimony, in addition to facing the defendants and witnesses. Some witnesses who had previously testified before the National Brigade of Judicial Police stated that the lawyer's fiancé was in a highly agitated state during the party, physically assaulting one of the attendees and slapping his fiancée, while denying that he was attacked by the defendants. They added that they intervened to calm him down after a heated argument occurred between him and his fiancée. In their statements before the National Brigade and the Public Prosecutor, all the defendants denied committing the rape. They asserted that the French lawyer was in a clearly euphoric state and that she initiated unwanted advances towards several attendees. For his part, the party organizer, Kamil Bennis, emphasized that his relationship with the complainant was entirely consensual, denying that he gave her any drugs. He explained that the victim was the one who closed the room door after entering following a dispute with her fiancé. In another development, another party was heard in the case of the leaked phone call that led to the lawyer's fiancé being sentenced to three months in prison. The proceedings have been referred to the Public Prosecution, while the person involved has not been brought to trial, raising questions about the identity of the person who leaked the audio tape, which was the subject of a complaint filed by the head of the Bar Association in Casablanca. Information indicates that the person suspected of leaking the call, a doctor, has been wanted by justice since the beginning of the investigations. During the investigation of the lawyer's fiancé, the doctor was abroad and only appeared before the competent authorities after the verdict was issued against his friend, according to the same source. The investigating judge is expected to complete the confrontation sessions between the parties before issuing his final decision regarding the prosecution of the defendants in the case. The history of the case dates back to November 2, 2024, when Kamil Bennis organized a party at a villa in the Ain Diab area of Casablanca, attended by about 100 people. The four defendants, Bennis, Alj, Slaoui, and Dagbour, are accused of committing rape crimes under the influence of GHB, known as the «date rape drug», according to the victim's statement.
