24/7 Space News
SHAKE AND BLOW
Moroccan activist jailed for criticism of earthquake response
Moroccan activist jailed for criticism of earthquake response
by AFP Staff Writers
Rabat (AFP) Jan 13, 2025

A Moroccan activist who criticised the kingdom's response to a major 2023 earthquake was jailed for three months on Monday for defamation, according to his defence team.

Said Ait Mahdi, who leads a group for victims of the El Haouz earthquake and has been in detention since December 23, was tried for "defamation, insult and the publication of false allegations aimed at infringing on privacy".

Three other accused, also members of the group, were charged with "insulting public officials".

"The Court of First Instance of Marrakesh condemned Said Ait Mahdi to three months in prison and acquitted three others," one of their lawyers, Mohamed Nouini, told AFP.

Ait Mahdi was also ordered to pay 10,000 dirhams ($1,000) in damages to each of the civil parties, Nouini said, adding that he would appeal the verdict.

According to the lawyer, the case was based on "complaints from local officials following social media posts they considered offensive".

El Haouz province, to the south of Marrakesh, was one of the areas hit hardest by the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region in September 2023, killing close to 3,000 people and wounding 5,600.

It also destroyed around 60,000 homes in the High Atlas mountains, forcing many families to live in tents through the winter.

Ait Mahdi's group has campaigned for faster reconstruction and more aid to those affected.

The Moroccan authorities said in December they had issued 57,000 reconstruction permits and that more than 35,000 homes had been or were in the process of being rebuilt.

The authorities have put in place an $11 billion, five-year reconstruction and development plan for the six provinces hit by the disaster.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SHAKE AND BLOW
Rescuers search for survivors after quake in China's Tibet kills at least 126
Beijing (AFP) Jan 8, 2025
Thousands of rescuers were searching for survivors in freezing conditions Wednesday after a devastating earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people. Videos published by state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday showed rescue workers pulling injured victims from the rubble of collapsed buildings and carrying them to safety. Footage also showed a man in a dusty, thick winter coat carrying a crying child piggyback as a rescue worker draped a jacket over him. Rescues were als ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
India unveils plans for 10 missions in 2025 after successful space-docking launch

Five Ways to Explore NASA's Portfolio of Technologies with TechPort 4.0

From commercial Moon landers to asteroid investigations, the year ahead

More NASA science and technology set for Lunar delivery with Firefly Aerospace

SHAKE AND BLOW
Bezos's Blue Origin targets Friday for first orbital launch

SpaceX sends up first Starlink mission of 2025

UAH Electric Propulsion Club seeks patent for experimental ion thruster

Bezos's Blue Origin poised for first orbital launch this week

SHAKE AND BLOW
Evidence exists for hidden water reservoirs and rare magmas on ancient Mars

University of Houston scientists solving meteorological mysteries on Mars

Frosty landscape captured at Mars' South Pole

Perseverance blasts past the top of Jezero Crater rim

SHAKE AND BLOW
China's human spaceflight program achieves key milestones in 2024

China's space journey continues apace

Shenzhou XIX crew completes successful spacewalk outside Tiangong station

China boosts Lunar and Mars mission capabilities with advanced Long March rockets

SHAKE AND BLOW
Chinese satellite network enhances maritime internet connectivity

Sidus Space launches LizzieSat-2 strengthening on-orbit satellite network

Space Flight Laboratory confirms launch and deployment of HawkEye 360 Cluster 11

NOIRLab releases complete educational resource for constellations

SHAKE AND BLOW
Study uncovers gold's journey from Earth's mantle to surface

Developing printable droplet laser displays

Video game play gets frisky at CES gadget gala

Revealing new insights into single-atom metal alloy properties

SHAKE AND BLOW
Dormancy as a survival strategy for life's origins

An autonomous strategy for life detection on icy worlds using Exo-AUV

Living in the deep, dark, slow lane: Insights from the first global appraisal of microbiomes in Earth's subsurface environments

Young planet's atmosphere challenges traditional formation models

SHAKE AND BLOW
Citizen scientists help decipher Jupiter's cloud composition

Texas A and M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Jovian vortex hunter catalog reveals stunning insights into Jupiter's atmosphere

Juno identifies localized magma chambers driving Io's volcanic activity

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.