Jailed Morocco activist sentenced to more prison time: lawyer

A Moroccan human rights activist serving a three-year jail term has been sentenced to two more years in prison in a separate case, her lawyer told AFP on Thursday.

Saida El Alami was convicted of "insulting the king" and "insulting a magistrate or public servant" over remarks she had made during her initial trial for online comments, lawyer Ahmed Ait Bennacer said.

A court in Casablanca sentenced her late Wednesday to two years behind bars as well as a 2,000-dirham ($195) fine.

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El Alami, 49, a vocal activist with a regular online presence until her arrest last year, was sentenced in September to three years on appeal after being convicted of "insulting" government bodies and public officials, as well as "spreading false allegations".

Souad Brahma, another lawyer representing El Alami, said the defence team plans to appeal the latest verdict.

El Alami, who describes herself as a "political dissident" on Facebook, had criticised security forces and accused the judiciary of corruption, Amnesty International said.

She had also spoken out in support of imprisoned Moroccan journalists and activists.

Following her arrest in March 2022, Amnesty called on Moroccan authorities "to end the prosecutions of activists who have been critical of public figures, state officials or state institutions, and to ensure that people are free to express their opinions without fear of reprisals".