Morocco: 22-year-old artist sentenced to four years in prison for royal caricatures

A 22-year-old illustrator in Morocco, Yasser Mounbir, has been handed a four-year prison sentence and a 40,000 dirham fine by a court in Casablanca. The artist was found guilty of insulting the King and public officials after posting caricatures of Mohammed VI on Instagram. Arrested last June, the defendant now plans to appeal the verdict through his lawyer, Farouk Mehdaoui. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has officially called for his release. The case highlights the controversial Article 179 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which criminalizes defamation or insults against the sovereign, with punishments doubling when the content is disseminated electronically. Human rights organizations continue to lobby for the repeal of these laws, arguing that they severely restrict freedom of speech.