El Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial marroquí acusa a AI de interferir en la justicia

he Moroccan Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) did not like Amnesty International's (AI) interference in the judicial process against opposition journalist Omar Radi. In a statement, the CSPJ criticised AI's attitude as "a flagrant attack on the independence of the judiciary", as it sent a letter to the prime minister, Saadedin Otmani, on September 9 to demand the release of the Moroccan reporter. 

The Moroccan journalist, previously under investigation for alleged espionage, was taken into custody and charged with an alleged crime of rape. According to a statement from the Casablanca public prosecutor's office, the accusation of alleged sexual abuse came after "a complaint from a citizen and an investigation by members of the judicial police of the Royal Gendarmerie" of the city.

"Attacking the security of the state" is another crime of which the Moroccan prosecutor's office accuses the reporter, because of his alleged links with a foreign intelligence agent with the aim of "harming Moroccan diplomacy".

In view of these facts, Amnesty International began a campaign to demand Radi's release. On September 9, AI launched "an urgent action" to ask the Moroccan authorities to release Radia until the day of his trial on September 22. Omar’s investigations into links between political interests and big business, as well as his strong criticism of Morocco’s human rights record, have made him a target of repression, as the authorities seek to silence dissenting voices" AI writes..

"The (AI) note includes many inaccuracies that undermine the independence of the justice system and gives the impression that the government has control over (the judiciary)," the CSPJ said in a note. The CSPJ insisted that Radi is being tried after being accused of two crimes, rape and attacks on state security, and "not for his work as a journalist". 

The campaign launched by AI on June 22nd claimed that the reporter's phone has been targeted by sophisticated spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO. This software gives full access to the messages, emails, media, microphone, camera, calls and contacts of the phone.

Omar Radi, 33 years old and winner of the 2013 Investigative Journalism Award of the Moroccan Association of Investigative Journalism, is a regular contributor to various local and international media, and he is considered to be one of the most critical journalists in the Maghreb country. 
Last March, the First Instance Court of Casablanca sentenced Radi to four-month prison term on the charge of insulting a judge on Twitter.