20 March 2008 - 09H40
Moroccan Facebook user pardoned
Fouad Mortada, a Moroccan computer engineer jailed for three years for imitating Prince Moulay Rachid without consent on Facebook, has been granted a royal pardon by King Mohammed.
RABAT, March 19 (Reuters) - A Moroccan computer engineer
jailed last month for setting up a Facebook account in the name
of King Mohammed's brother has been freed after a royal pardon,
his lawyer said on Wednesday.
jailed last month for setting up a Facebook account in the name
of King Mohammed's brother has been freed after a royal pardon,
his lawyer said on Wednesday.
Fouad Mortada, 26, was jailed for three years and given a
10,000 dirham ($1,370) fine on Feb. 23 for falsifying data and
imitating Prince Moulay Rachid without his consent.
10,000 dirham ($1,370) fine on Feb. 23 for falsifying data and
imitating Prince Moulay Rachid without his consent.
The ruling sparked protests from free speech campaigners
around the world and Moroccan bloggers stopped writing in
solidarity with Mortada.
around the world and Moroccan bloggers stopped writing in
solidarity with Mortada.
His supporters said the Moroccan judiciary had failed to
understand that thousands of people set up accounts on Facebook
and other sites under the names of celebrities.
understand that thousands of people set up accounts on Facebook
and other sites under the names of celebrities.
Mortada argued he had set up the account because of his
admiration for the prince and meant him no harm. He had appealed
to the prince for clemency before being jailed.
admiration for the prince and meant him no harm. He had appealed
to the prince for clemency before being jailed.
"Fouad's liberation is a victory for justice and freedom,"
said his lawyer Ali Ammar. "The king has done what the court
should have done in the first place."
said his lawyer Ali Ammar. "The king has done what the court
should have done in the first place."
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