3 NEWSPAPERS FINED FOR INSULTING GADDAFI

The National Union of the Moroccan Press described the trial as a "blow for press freedom in the kingdom"

The Casablanca-based court ordered on Monday the three independent Arabic newspapers to pay three million Dirhams ($372,300) in damages for defaming Moammar Gaddafi, the head of Libyan state.

• Five of the papers’ staff were also fined 100,000 dirhams ($12,410) each for "attacks on the character and the dignity of a head of state", Moroccos' official news agency MAP reported.
• Al Jarida Al Aoula, Al Ahdat Al Maghribia and Al Massae were sued by Gaddafi and the Libyan embassy in Morocco had asked a public prosecutor to claim damages of 30 million dirhams from each paper for articles published between 2008 and early 2009.
• It warned the three penalised newspapers faced closure because of the fines.
• The trial was also strongly condemned by the National Union of the Moroccan Press, which described the trial as a "a blow for press freedom in Morocco and an attempt to execute the press".
• The union staged a demonstration following the trial outside the Casablanca court.
• Journalists held a banner calling for "the justice system to respect freedom of expression and stop attacks aimed at muzzling the press".

Source: Al Jazeera