This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Published on September 30, 2019, a Moroccan journalist, Meriem Raissouni, was sentenced to one year in prison for allegedly undergoing an illegal abortion.
Her gynaecologist, Dr. Abdelmoula El Marouri, was given a two-year prison sentence, while her Sudanese fiancé received a one-year sentence. An anaesthetist was handed a one-year suspended sentence, and a medical assistant received an eight-month suspended sentence.
Defence lawyer Abdelmoula El Marouri stated, "This trial had no foundation -- the accusations were baseless," after the verdict.
Meriem Raissouni, a journalist for Akhbar Al-Yaoum, was sentenced under Article 490 of the Moroccan legal code, which punishes sexual relations out of wedlock and forbids all abortions unless the mother's life is in danger.
Relatives of Raissouni announced plans to appeal the verdict, as did her lawyer, Meriem Moulay Rachid, who stated, "The judicial system has had its word, (but) we will appeal."
The case has sparked a storm in Morocco, with debate surrounding personal freedoms and the treatment of critical figures.
