HRW calls on Morocco to release human rights activist
2009-03-20
In a statement on Thursday (March 19th) Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Moroccan authorities to free human rights activist and journalist Chekib El-Khiari, detained since February 17th for allegedly "collaborating with foreign entities" and smearing Morocco's reputation. HRW argues that while El-Khiari has been in pre-trial detention for four weeks, the Casablanca court has not yet filed formal charges against him. Earlier this month, Amnesty International called El-Khiari's arrest "an attack on the right of human rights defenders to collect and disseminate information", while several human rights and free speech advocates began campaigning for his release under the slogan, "We Are All Chekib El-Khiari".
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