Minister of Justice, Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi has stated that the court of cassation latest decision has made a separation between professional and non-professional journalists, making clear that justifying the decision has stipulated that a non-professional journalist is the one who doesn’t have anything that informs/or justifies he is an accredited journalist with official sides, on their top, the National Press Council which gives press cards.
Minister Ouahbi has added in a statement made on the margin of oral questions session at the House of Representatives, saying “A journalist enjoys all the guarantees including non-prosecution in case of detention”.
Minister Ouahbi said” We will make a separation between the journalist and the one who pretends to be a journalist but has no means to prove that, that’s why we have amended texts of the penal code.”
According to Minister Ouahbi, expected sanctions in the penal code, for those who publish defamation that harms the reputation of persons and families, whether issued by YouTubers, social media activists, or false photographers, may reach 5 years firm imprisonment.