The international human rights body Human Rights Watch run an article today, on the eve of the Moroccan authorities releasing 17-year-old Moroccan rapper Othman Atiq, commonly known in Morocco by his nickname “Mr. Crazy,” calling on Morocco to amend its laws given that “Morocco’s constitution, in article 25, guarantees freedom of expression “in all its forms” and the “freedom to create, publish and display literary and artistic materials…” However, since its adoption in 2011, authorities have yet to amend an array of laws that impose prison terms for nonviolent speech offenses, such as those used to prosecute Atiq.”
Human Rights Watch said that “Mr. Crazy is due to be released by Moroccan authorities on November 12, 2014, after completing a three-month sentence for “offending a state institution,” “harming public morality,” and other offenses related to his lyrics.”
Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa director was quoted saying that “the Moroccan government sent the wrong message by prosecuting a rapper like ‘Mr. Crazy’ for peacefully expressing his views,”
“Jailing a 17-year-old for his songs hardly makes sense in a country that regularly hosts international music festivals and human rights conferences,” Sarah Leah Whitson further noted.
You can read Human Rights Watch’s full article on Mr. Crazy by clicking on the following link: click here.
The Moroccan Times.
