The Moroccan Lawyers Club has officially lodged a complaint with the Turkish Public Prosecutor, using diplomatic channels, against Tawakkol Karman, the Yemeni-Turkish activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The charges pertain to «inciting terrorism and violence» and «insulting the head of a foreign state». A statement issued by the club detailed that this complaint, signed by Mourad Elajouti, President of the Moroccan Lawyers Club, was prompted by a series of tweets from Tawakkol Karman on X. According to the statement, these tweets explicitly called for «revolution» and «uprising» against the Moroccan regime, and included phrases considered derogatory towards Moroccan state institutions. Elajouti emphasized that this action is strictly legal, devoid of any political intent, and aims to combat incitement and electronic terrorism. He asserted that freedom of expression does not justify promoting violence or insulting state symbols. He expressed trust in the Turkish judiciary's independence and fairness in addressing this case. The statement indicates that Karman's tweets transcend the limits of free speech, falling into the realm of acts criminalized under Turkish law, specifically Law No. 3713 on counter-terrorism. The complaint draws on Articles 216, 312, 314, and 220/6-7 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, which criminalize incitement to hatred and violence, and involvement with or support for terrorist organizations. It also references Article 340, which treats public insult to a foreign head of state as a grave offense due to the potential diplomatic repercussions it could have on international relations.
