Moroccan Journalist Jailed For Abortion Freed After Royal Pardon

Moroccan Journalist Jailed For Abortion Freed After Royal Pardon

By Sophie Pons
10/16/19

Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni who was sentenced to one year in jail for an "illegal abortion" and sexual relations outside marriage walked free on Wednesday, shortly after being granted a royal pardon.

In a case that had provoked a storm of protests from rights groups, the justice ministry said the 28-year-old woman was released on a pardon issued by King Mohammed VI.

Continued: https://www.ibtimes.com/moroccan-journalist-jailed-abortion-freed-after-royal-pardon-2847379


Moroccan Journalist Jailed for an Abortion She Says She Never Had

Moroccan Journalist Jailed for an Abortion She Says She Never Had

By Amanda Arnold
Oct. 1, 2019

On Monday, a 28-year-old Moroccan journalist was sentenced to a year in prison for an abortion that she denies ever getting, in a case that critics have condemned as part of a concerted effort to suppress journalists’ critical coverage of the government, the Guardian reports.

Over the past month, the prosecution of Hajar Raissouni — as well as of her fiancé, Rifaat al-Amin — has sparked nationwide outrage. On August 31, Raissouni and al-Amin were arrested after leaving a gynecologist’s office in the capital of Morocco, where abortion is illegal in nearly all cases. Raissouni claims she wasn’t there to terminate a pregnancy; instead, she says she was visiting the doctor to get a blood clot removed. During the trial, a lawyer for her doctor provided medical evidence regarding Raissouni’s hormone levels that further demonstrated she had not undergone an abortion.

Continued: https://www.thecut.com/2019/10/moroccan-journalist-jailed-abortion-she-denies-having.html


Moroccan journalist arrested on abortion charges

Moroccan journalist arrested on abortion charges
Rights groups urge authorities to release Hajar Raissouni

Sep 6, 2019
AFP

Rights groups urged Moroccan authorities on Friday to immediately release a journalist arrested on charges of having an "illegal abortion" -- an act her lawyers deny.

Hajar Raissouni writes for the Arabic-language daily Akhbar Al-Yaoum, which has a history of run-ins with the authorities.

Continued; https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/moroccan-journalist-arrested-on-abortion-charges.733657