DR ‹ › The criminal chamber of the Court of First Instance in Taza sentenced young rapper Souhaib Qabli to eight months in prison and a fine of 1,000 dirhams, along with court costs, on Thursday evening. The court acquitted him of the charges of «insulting public officials in the course of their duties» and «spreading false allegations intended to harm individuals' private lives or defame them». However, he was convicted on charges of disrespecting a constitutional institution through electronic means accessible to the public, and insulting an organized body. Qabli was prosecuted over songs in which he addressed issues such as normalization, democracy, health, and education. Commenting on the verdict, his lawyer, Mohamed Taifi, told Voice of Morocco that the ruling contradicts both the facts and the legal elements of the case, adding that they intend to appeal the decision. «There is a charge of insulting an organized body, but legally it must be clearly identified. The case file contains no evidence of the existence of a specific organized body that was allegedly insulted», he said. Souhaib Qabli was placed in custody in Fez on March 2. On March 4, the public prosecutor in Taza decided to prosecute him while in detention.
