Omar Radi

Omar Radi (Arabic: عمر الراضي‎) is a Moroccan investigative journalist and human rights activist. He has worked at Lakome, Atlantic Radio, Media 24, TelQuel and Le Desk focusing on investigations about human rights, corruption and social movements.[1][2][3] He was detained in Casablanca on 26 December 2019 for criticizing a judge in a tweet posted six months earlier.[4]. His arrest triggered a massive movement of solidarity across the nation.[5] He was handed a suspended four-month prison sentence, a verdict widely criticized by NGOs and human rights groups.[6][7]

Omar Radi
عمر الراضي
Born (1986-07-18) 18 July 1986
Kenitra, Morocco
GenreJournalism

Career

Radi has worked on anti-competition practices by Mounir Majidi;[8] corruption among politicians and members of parliament;[9] budgetary problems in the urgent education program;[10] a 2018 documentary about the Hirak Rif Movement;[11] and coverage of social movements in Sidi Ifni, Imidir and Rif.[12]

2019 Arrest

On 26 December 2019, Omar Radi was summoned to the local police station in Casablanca where he was arrested.[13] The official reason given for his arrest was that—in April of 2019, more than 6 months before his arrest—Radi tweeted critically of a Casablanca magistrate for delivering 20-years jail sentence of 42 activists, including Nasser Zefzafi, from the Hirak Rif Movement.[14] In an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!, Radi stated that he believed he was arrested because he was at a journalism awards ceremony in Algeria 3 days prior to his incarceration, speaking to the public about the Moroccan political economy and what he described as "economic predation" in Morocco and a "state capture model of economy."[15]

The National union for journalists asked for his release.[16] The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) condemned the arrest.[17] Human Rights Watch asked the authorities for his release and praised his quality journalism.[18] On 29 September 2019, protests took place in front of the parliament.[19] Protesters took the streets calling for his release in the Moroccan cities of Casablanca, Rabat, and Agadir but also abroad in Paris and Brussels.[20]

On 31 December 2019, following national and international pressure, Moroccan authorities were forced to release him on bail[21][22] following a national and international campaign in his support, two days before his judgement, due on 2 January 2020. The judgement was then postponed to 5 March 2020.[23]

Phone hacking

On June 21, Amnesty International released a report stating it found evidence that Omar Radi's personal cellphone had been infected with the Pegasus spyware of the Israeli technology firm NSO Group.[24][25] The program can covertly access a phone’s camera, microphone, text messages, emails, applications, and location.[26] As NSO Group publicly states that it sells its software exclusively to governments, Amnesty International concluded in its report that the surveillance was conducted by Moroccan authorities.[26] Israel classifies this technology as a weapon and its approval is required for any exports.[26][27]

The phone hacking allegations were put into question by Moroccan authorities who have demanded proof from Amnesty International for these "serious and tendentious charges."[28][29] Amnesty International, on its part, claims that it has provided the necessary proof, arguing in a public statement released on July 4 that "the technology used to spy on Omar Radi's phone required the control over telephone operators, which only the government could exert in order to hack the Internet connection."[29] The Moroccan authorities maintain that what Amnesty provided does not constitute "convincing scientific evidence."[29]

On June 25 and then again on July 2, Radi was summoned to appear before the National Judicial Police Brigade (الفرقة الوطنية للشرطة القضائية, BNPJ) for questioning.[30] On July 2, Le 360 accused Omar Radi of being a "British intelligence agent."[31][32] The Moroccan justice system suspects him of receiving "financial support from abroad" and having "links with a liaison officer from a foreign country" who has allegedly been "under diplomatic cover since 1979 in several regions of tension" throughout the world.[33] Omar Radi categorically denies these accusations.[34]

At around 11:00 pm on July 5, Omar Radi and his colleague at Le Desk Imad Stitou were taken into police custody after an altercation with a cameraman from Chouf TV, a sensationalist Moroccan media agency, who—according to Le Desk—had been following Radi since June 25 and had come to harass them.[30][35][36][37] According to a spokesperson for the General Directorate for National Security, Radi was taken into custody for "public drunkenness and violence."[38] Both journalists were detained over night and released on June 6, while an investigation into allegations of "public intoxication, violence, insult, and filming without permission," according to court documents, is ongoing.[37]Advanced Special characters Help Cite Heading Format Insert

Radi was summoned to appear before the BNPJ on the morning of July 8 for a third time in the course of two weeks, having received the notice 24 hours after he and his colleague Imad Stitou were released from overnight detention.[39]

gollark: I have vitamin D supplements.
gollark: I mostly end up not going into the sun, but I am *also* vitamin-D deficient so who knows.
gollark: I like how in the past few hours various internet people™ have stated both that people should be in the sun, and that people shouldn't be in the sun.
gollark: You can probably overtrain, but just don't do that.
gollark: Well, it is claimed that weightlifting is actually quite good for your health.

See also

References
  1. "Qui est Omar Radi, le journaliste et militant incarcéré pour un tweet ?". Telquel.ma (in French). Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  2. "Au Maroc, Omar Radi, nouveau journaliste dans le viseur des autorités – Libération". 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  3. "Omar Radi | Middle East Eye". 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  4. Press, The Associated (27 December 2019). "Moroccan YouTuber Sentenced to Prison, Journalist Detained". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  5. "Moroccans rally in defence of journalist Omar Radi, jailed over a tweet". France 24. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  6. Yabiladi.com. "To Amnesty International, Omar Radi «should never have been put on trial»". en.yabiladi.com. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  7. "Morocco sentences activist for criticizing judge". Reuters. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  8. "اعتقال عمر الراضي أحد مفجري فضيحة أراضي خدام الدولة واختلاس البرنامج الاستعجالي للتعليم – ألف بوست". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  9. "بروفيل- محاكمة الصحافي عمر الراضي.. من اختراق مربع "خدام الدولة" إلى "الموت ولا المذلة" – اليوم 24". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  10. "جطو يُعري البرنــامج الاستعجـالــــي لأحمد اخشيشن – اليوم 24". 31 October 2018. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  11. "بروفيل- محاكمة الصحافي عمر الراضي.. من اختراق مربع "خدام الدولة" إلى "الموت ولا المذلة" – اليوم 24". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  12. "متضامنون مع عمر – Le Desk". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  13. Lesire-Ogrel, Benjamin; Stangler, Cole (17 November 2017). "The Revolutionary Potential of Journalism in Morocco". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. "Au Maroc, le journaliste Omar Radi placé en détention pour un tweet critiquant la justice". 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  15. "Meet Omar Radi, the Moroccan Journalist Who Was Jailed for a Single Tweet & Faces Trial on March 5". Democracy Now!. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  16. "Au Maroc, le journaliste Omar Radi placé en détention pour un tweet critiquant la justice". 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  17. "Des centaines de Marocains manifestent contre l'arrestation du journaliste, Omar Radi". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  18. "Des centaines de Marocains manifestent contre l'arrestation du journaliste, Omar Radi". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  19. "Des centaines de Marocains manifestent contre l'arrestation du journaliste, Omar Radi". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  20. https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/90811/amnesty-international-omar-radi-should.html
  21. Kasraoui, Safaa (31 December 2019). "Moroccan Journalist Omar Radi Leaves Prison on Provisional Release". Morocco World News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  22. "عمر الراضي لـ"لكم": إطلاق سراحي رجوع للصواب ومحاكمتي ستكون مقبولة اذا ما توفرت لها شروط المحاكمة العادلة". لكم-lakome2 (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  23. "تأجيل محاكمة عمر الراضي إلى مارس المقبل" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  24. "« C'est David contre Goliath » : comment l'iPhone du journaliste marocain Omar Radi a été espionné". Le Monde.fr (in French). 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  25. "Moroccan Journalist Targeted With Network Injection Attacks Using NSO Group's Tools". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  26. Priest, Dana (21 June 2020). "Spyware technology found on phone of Moroccan journalist, report says". The Washington Post.
  27. "Israeli spyware used to target Moroccan journalist, Amnesty claims". the Guardian. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  28. "In Absence of Evidence, Morocco Questions Context of Latest Amnesty International Report, FM". Maroc.ma. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  29. "Maroc : les journalistes Omar Radi et Imad Stitou interpellés". Le Monde.fr (in French). 6 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  30. "Harcelés par Chouf TV, Omar Radi et Imad Stitou ont été embarqués par la police". Le Desk. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  31. "الصحافي عمر الراضي يجيب الحكومة: لم أكن أبدا في خدمة أي قوة أجنبية، ولن أكون ما دمت على قيد الحياة". Le Desk. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  32. Le360 (2 July 2020). "Info360. Voici l'identité de l'agent secret, officier traitant de Omar Radi". Le360.ma (in French). Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  33. "Maroc : les journalistes Omar Radi et Imad Stitou interpellés". Le Monde.fr (in French). 6 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  34. "Maroc : les journalistes Omar Radi et Imad Stitou interpellés". Le Monde.fr (in French). 6 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  35. "Chouf TV". maroc.mom-rsf.org. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  36. Kettioui, Abdelmjid (10 February 2020). "Sarcasm and Taboo in the Moroccan Mediascape after the February 20 Movement". Journal of African Cultural Studies. 0 (0): 1–19. doi:10.1080/13696815.2019.1701426. ISSN 1369-6815.
  37. "Journalists Omar Radi and Imad Stitou detained overnight in Morocco". Committee to Protect Journalists. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  38. "Maroc : les journalistes Omar Radi et Imad Stitou interpellés". Le Monde.fr (in French). 6 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  39. "للمرة الثالثة.. الفرقة الوطنية للشرطة تستدعي الصحافي عمر الراضي" (in Arabic). Retrieved 8 July 2020.
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