The person responsible for a platform for victims of the Moroccan earthquake sentenced to prison for his criticism of the authorities

by Andrea
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El Periódico2

The head of an association of victims of earthquake of Morocco of 2023 has been sentenced to three months in prison accused of “defamation, insult and publication of false accusations intended to violate privacy.” This sentence comes due to the criticism he had leveled against the management being carried out in the reconstruction of the areas hit by the earthquake, according to what his lawyer told the AFP agency. Said Ait Mahdiwho was in provisional prison since December 23 of last year, will also have to pay some 1.000 euros as a fine and compensation.

When the sentence was announced last Monday, dozens of people gathered in front of the court of Marrakech to ask for his absolution. Many of them, who arrived from the areas affected by the earthquake, carried banners that read “Enough of corruption, for a clean and transparent future” or “A roof for every life, dignity is priceless“. Three other people who were also being tried alongside Said have been acquitted, explains the media ‘Hespress’. According to this newspaper, Said and his companions were denounced by three officials in the area, including the governor of the Al Haouz region. , the epicenter of the earthquake.

“We consider it to be a condemnation unfair“explains El Mokhtar Benredouan, of the committee created after Said’s conviction. “It is a militant human rights defender who has organized several demonstrations to ask the public administration to accelerate the reconstruction.” They defend that the complaint filed by the officials had the objective of limiting their activity and that no more demonstrations be carried out.

The reconstruction

The earthquake caused death about 3.000 personas in a mountainous region of the Moroccan Atlas. A year and four months later, many of those affected are struggling between frustration and indignation at the slow pace of reconstruction and aid, they denounce. Some of them continue to live in plastic tents or improvised barracks. Although reconstruction has already begun in many places, there are still some of those affected who regret the delay in aid.

According to the Moroccan Government, last September, some 88,000 families have received aid for reconstruction, more than half had received only the first phase of the subsidy and nearly 1,000 had completed the full amount. After the earthquake, the authorities announced that subsidies would be 80,000 (7,700 euros) dirhams for the rehabilitation of partially collapsed homes and 140,000 (13,500 euros) for completely destroyed houses.

Protests by those affected

One of the main reasons for indignation among the residents of the affected area is that many of them have only received aid of 80,000 dirhams, and that it’s not enough. They report that although their houses did not collapse, they had to rebuild them from scratch because they were very damaged. Another criticism from neighbors is the increase in the cost of construction materials to rebuild their homes, a work that exceeds the subsidy they receive. This last year, those affected have staged protests in different towns, such as in Amizmiz, affected by the earthquake. Last December, a group of victims moved to Rabat to protest in front of Parliament to demand solutions to the anguish they are experiencing.

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