Moroccan journalist detained on espionage, rape charges
CASABLANCA - Moroccan journalist Omar Radi was Wednesday
placed in pre-trial detention on charges of rape and receiving foreign funds
for the purpose of harming "state security", the justice ministry
said.
Omar Radi, who works for news website LeDesk, has been
transferred to Oukacha prison in the economic capital of Casablanca and his
trial will begin on September 22, the ministry said in a statement.
The prosecutor has requested that the investigating judge
look into "offences relating to indecent assault with violence and
rape" after a "citizen filed a complaint".
The rape victim, who is Radi’s colleague, told Middle East
Online that he jumped on her and raped her while she was talking on the phone
with her fiancé who lives abroad.
The victim said the rape took place on July 13 at her
directors’ house where they were working due to the special circumstances
exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“As a Moroccan citizen, I am counting on the judiciary to
bring me justice. It’s a matter of honour,” said the woman.
“Radi ruined my life and my relationship with my fiancé who
dumped me,” she said, adding that she was representing many women who had been
raped but remained silent.
Radi is also being investigated for receiving funds from
foreign parties with the goal of harming internal state security.
“Radi cultivated contacts with agents of foreign countries
in order to undermine Morocco's diplomatic position,” the statement said.
The investigation into Radi's purported receipt of foreign
funds began in late June, the day after a report by Amnesty International
alleged that Pegasus software developed by Israeli security firm NSO Group was
used to hack Radi's mobile phone.
Moroccan authorities denounced Amnesty's “baseless”
accusation, demanding the rights group provide scientific evidence to prove its
claims.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita told La Tribune
de Geneve in mid-July that Amnesty's spying charges against Morocco were
unfounded.
Bourita accused the London-based rights group of failing its
duty of neutrality and objectivity.
“Far from being in a dynamic of dialogue, they carried out a
real media campaign on the basis of unfounded accusations, misleading several
media and journalists," said Bourita.
“It’s huge and totally wrong. We unequivocally reject these
accusations,” he added.
An Israeli court has dismissed on July 13 Amnesty's legal
bid to stop NSO Group from exporting surveillance software, saying the NGO did
not prove NSO's technology had been used to spy on its members.
A Tel Aviv District Court judge found Amnesty did not
present evidence to back up the claim that there had been an attempt to spy by
hacking a human rights activist's phone, nor that such an attempt had been
carried out by NSO, according to a court document.
Bourita stressed that the Tel Aviv court’s verdict justified
Amnesty’s failure to prove that the software was being used by their
government.
Radi said that he had never been and never would be in the
service of a foreign power.
“I am neither a spy nor in the pay of another country as an
agent,” he said.
In March, Radi was sentenced to a four-month suspended
prison sentence for criticising a judge in a message posted on Twitter.
A coalition of nine human rights and media organisations,
including Reporters Without Borders, on Wednesday called on Moroccan
authorities to stop intimidating Radi.
It called on the United Nations and the US Department of
State to strongly denounce the arbitrary summons and false accusations levelled
against him by authorities.
But the rape victim rejected the organisations’ claim.
“They are trying to politicise my case, which I
categorically reject. Radi raped me and destroyed my life,”.
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