Latest news with #Rabat-SaléAirport
Ya Biladi
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Morocco 2025 will host «best» AFCON yet, says CAF President
The next Men's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, will be «the best» celebration of African football, said the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe. «The men's AFCON is the biggest competition in African football. The next edition, which Morocco will host, will be the best celebration of football on the continent», Motsepe stated on Wednesday, upon his arrival at Rabat-Salé Airport to attend the Women's Futsal AFCON final between Morocco and Tanzania. Regarding the upcoming Women's AFCON, scheduled to take place in Morocco from July 5 to 26 next year, the CAF President said this edition «will be a great success». Expressing his delight at being back in Morocco, «a land for all Africans and all those who love football», Motsepe reaffirmed his «utmost trust» in Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), who was recently appointed CAF's First Vice-President. Highlighting Lekjaa's key role in advancing African football and his deep passion for the game, Motsepe stated: «Together with Mr. Lekjaa, the other vice-presidents, and CAF member associations, we can elevate African football—whether at the level of national teams, clubs, women's football, or futsal». Using Morocco as an example, he also emphasized the importance of partnerships between governments and football federations in every African country to support the continent-wide development of the sport. Motsepe praised Moroccans' strong enthusiasm for football, which he said contributes significantly to the success of competitions organized in the Kingdom. He expressed his excitement to attend the final of the inaugural Women's Futsal AFCON, scheduled for Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat.
Ya Biladi
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Maati Monjib travel ban amid money laundering probe : Prosecutor clarifies legal grounds
The historian and activist Maati Monjib has been subjected to a travel ban due to an ongoing judicial investigation into suspicions of money laundering. In an interview published by MAP, Zouhair Lahrach, the First Deputy Prosecutor at the Rabat Court of First Instance, stated on Monday that this measure does not call into question either the political or academic activities of the person concerned, nor «his exercise of any of the rights guaranteed to him by law». Last Thursday, Maati Monjib announced that he had begun a hunger strike after being barred from leaving the country at Rabat-Salé Airport, where he was heading to attend a conference at Sorbonne University in France. In response, Zouhair Lahrach denounced «misleading allegations regarding this matter». According to him, investigations revealed that Monjib received substantial transfers from abroad and owns several properties flagged in suspicious transaction reports under Article 18 of Law 43.05. On this basis, the Prosecutor's Office «ordered a preliminary investigation», after which Maati Monjib was referred to the public prosecutor. The latter then «filed a request for a judicial investigation» on suspicions of acts «constituting the crime of money laundering under Articles 574-1, 574-2, and 574-3 of the Penal Code», Lahrach explained. These investigation procedures «are linked to international letters rogatory sent abroad», the official added, emphasizing that the results «require the presence of the individual concerned to confront the findings». The case, he said, «is still under review by the investigating judge», who ordered a travel ban and passport confiscation «in accordance with Article 142 of the Code of Criminal Procedure». Regarding any potential connection between this measure and the royal pardon granted to Maati Monjib last year, Lahrach firmly denied any link to the ongoing legal proceedings. He clarified that the acts under investigation «constitute a crime independent of the original offense related to illicit gains and do not stem from it based on their legal foundation», contrary to what he described as «false claims circulating on the matter».
Ya Biladi
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan historian and activist Maati Monjib begins hunger strike after travel ban
DR Moroccan activist and historian Maati Monjib has announced that he has started a hunger strike after being barred from traveling. In a statement on his Facebook page, Monjib revealed that he had been invited by Sorbonne University to deliver a lecture on «The Arab Spring in Tunisia 2011-2021». However, upon arriving at Rabat-Salé Airport today, he was prevented from leaving, despite possessing a valid ticket and passport. «I remind the public that I have been banned from traveling since 2020, and my car, house, and bank account have been seized for more than four years», he added. Monjib was among the activists granted a royal pardon on Throne Day last year. He has been involved in two separate legal cases. The first dates back to 2015, when he was initially sentenced to one and a half years in prison on charges related to «undermining the internal security of the state». The second case, from 2021, led to his detention during an investigation into «money laundering» charges, though he was later released pending trial. In his post, Monjib denounced his travel ban as a «violation of the law and the royal pardon». He cited Article 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which limits travel bans and judicial supervision to two months, extendable up to five times. «In my case, it was never extended, making the decision illegal and unjustified. Since the prosecution is political, the charges are malicious and fabricated», he wrote. Monjib has previously staged several hunger strikes, the most recent in 2023, protesting his suspension from his position as a university professor.
