In response to a Moroccan court's decision to uphold a one-year prison sentence against activist Mohamed Boustati for Facebook posts criticizing Saudi Arabia's policy on Gaza, DAWN issues the following statement:
"Imprisoning Mohamed Boustati for expressing solidarity with Palestinians and criticizing Saudi Arabia's complicity in the Gaza genocide is a blatant violation of his right to freedom of expression, which is meant to be guaranteed under both Morocco's constitution and international human rights conventions," said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's executive director.
"Rather than silencing dissent, Moroccan authorities should support the growing public outrage, including recent protests by dockworkers and citizens in Tangier against arms shipments to Israel, to end the genocide in Gaza."
"Saudi Arabia's campaign to export authoritarianism across the MENA region is accelerating, and now it reaches Moroccan activists," said Raed Jarrar, DAWN's advocacy director. "At a time when President Trump is crushing free expression at home and praising dictatorships abroad, it's no surprise that governments like Morocco feel emboldened to ramp up their own repression."
