RABAT (Reuters) – Moroccan police have arrested a high-profile human rights activist Fouad Abdelmoumni on suspicion of reporting a false crime and spreading fake news on social media.
Abdelmoumni, who was arrested on Wednesday, will be held in custody during the police investigation, a Casablanca prosecutor said in a statement on Thursday.
During French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the country this week, Abdelmoumni wrote on Facebook – without offering evidence – that Morocco was using migration, security intelligence and espionage to pressure France.
Macron’s visit to the kingdom came as the two countries turn the page on years of diplomatic tensions, with migration one of the issues that has strained ties.
Abdelmoumni’s lawyer, Souad Brahma, said his arrest was a “violation of freedom of expression”.
“Abdelmoumni was arrested for his political activism and opinions which he freely expressed on social media,” she said.
(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Ros Russell)
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