Morocco jails Facebook royal imposter

A computer engineer accused of posing as a member of the Moroccan royal family on the social networking Web site, Facebook, has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Mourtada was charged with stealing the identity of Prince Moulay Rachid, the younger brother of the Moroccan king, and of forging computer documents. Lawyers for Mourtada, who said he created the profile as "a joke, a gag," said they would appeal the sentence.

Egypt: Ban of Brotherhood Event

The Egyptian government has banned the Muslim Brotherhood's largest annual social gathering for the first time in 20 years, part of a concerted crackdown against the country's opposition, the group's leadership said Sunday.

Every year, the Brotherhood invites a diverse group of some 1,500 people to one of Cairo's five-star hotels for a gala dinner during Ramadan, the monthlong period when many Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

The Brotherhood, which was officially banned in 1954, is Egypt's largest opposition group. Its lawmakers, who run as independents, hold more than a fifth of the seats in the 454-member lower house of the parliament.

The ban of the banquet comes at a time of rising tension between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's government and those who question its leadership. Authorities have imprisoned hundreds of Brotherhood members in recent months and have begun a crackdown against dissenting voices within the media.

Analysts say the government's moves have been driven by uncertainty over who will become president after Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for more than a quarter century but has no designated successor. Many in Egypt believe Mubarak's 43-year-old son Gamal is being groomed for the position, a prospect that has raised widespread opposition. "The escalation against the Brotherhood and the press reflects high volatility in the political scene due to a struggle within the institution over the transfer of power," said Diaa Rashwan, an Egyptian analyst with the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

The government has also targeted organizations unrelated to the transfer of power. Earlier Tuesday, authorities closed the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid, which had been involved in the first lawsuit against a state security officer for torture.

Reporters on the job

After leaving the offices of a banned magazine and human rights group in Tunisia staff writer Jill Carroll and her interpreter noticed that they had attracted a tail.
"He was wearing a black shirt. My interpreter saw him trailing a block or so along behind us through the city but I couldn't spot him," says Jill. "Finally, we stopped and turned around so my interpreter could point out the man to me. He was hiding behind a tree across the street. After a moment he poked his head out. When he saw us looking at him and pointing, he quickly jumped back behind the tree. A stalker? An avid Monitor reader? More likely, a secret policeman from Tunisia's extensive intelligence network assigned to watch us as we met with people who did not meet with government approval."
After that, Jill noticed a different man tailing them each day. "It became a game. Every morning, after we left the hotel, we wondered who would spot the secret policeman first. After a while, we got pretty good at it. We joked about going for a nice, long jog through Tunis to give them a workout," says Jill. "But I forgot to bring my running shoes."

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Controversy over proposed changes to Morocco’s press law

Reporters Without Borders and some local journalists have criticized an amendment to Morocco's press code for not decriminalising press offences. The national press syndicate welcomed the new draft.

A proposed alteration to the press code is generating controversy in Morocco, with local and international organizations criticizing provisions perceived as limiting press freedom. In a letter addressed to Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou on July 12th, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called for significant changes in the current draft, which does not "provide the necessary guarantees for the protection of journalists in Morocco."
"The most disturbing aspect of the draft is the decision to retain articles providing for prison sentences for press offences," the RSF letter said. "Most of the legal provisions used to convict journalists in recent years have been kept. Among the most common offences one finds 'insulting the king' and 'insulting the sacredness of institutions.' "

According to RSF, many provisions are drafted vaguely, such as article 85, which "almost systematically bans coverage of anything involving personal privacy". The proposed National Press Council (CNP) will have disciplinary powers and "could turn into a new tool for censoring journalists", the Paris-based organisation added.

Ali Anouzla, editorial advisor to Moroccan daily al-Masae, expressed his rejection of the bill for keeping prison sentences and for consolidating what he said were lines that journalists may not cross, such as discussing the monarchy, the army, Western Sahara and Islam. In a statement to Magharebia, he criticised the draft for not being made a subject of public debate, considering it a "step backwards" from what Moroccan press has achieved.

In recent years, many prosecutions of journalists in Morocco have led to prison sentences and fines exceeding the values of the newspapers themselves.

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