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Debate on individual freedom reopened in Morocco

The case of journalist Hajar Raissouni reopened the debate on individual freedoms in Morocco, and revived calls to annul the law chapters that criminalize them.
Moroccan activists hold the poster of Hajar Raissouni, a journalist charged with fornication and abortion, during a protest outside the Rabat tribunal, Morocco September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal - RC16585AAC30
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RABAT, Morocco — Morocco's King Mohammed VI pardoned Hajar Raissouni, a journalist convicted on charges of having an abortion and nonmarital sex, on Oct. 16. Raissouni denied the charges against her and considered them to be “false accusations.” She affirmed that there was no abortion and never met the doctor who accused her.

Commenting on the second charge, Raissouni’s lawyer Saad Sahli said, “She got married by reciting the Fatiha, while waiting for the completion of the marriage legal process.” He added that the formalization procedures were delayed given that her fiance Rifaat al-Amin, a human rights activist, is Sudanese.

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