Moroccan authorities have released veteran journalist and political commentator Ali Lmrabet following questioning, while an investigation into allegations of defamation and libel remains ongoing, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Lmrabet, 66, was arrested on Sunday after arriving at Tangier airport. The French national, who lives in Spain, has spent decades openly criticising Morocco’s political system and remains active as a commentator on social media.
The Casablanca prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Lmrabet had been released pending the completion of the investigation.
“Appropriate legal action will be determined once the investigation is concluded,” the statement said.
Prosecutors had earlier said the arrest was linked to several notices issued against Lmrabet over online material suspected of violating Moroccan law, including content allegedly defaming individuals and state institutions.
Lmrabet has faced repeated legal action in Morocco over his journalism and political commentary. In 2003, he was imprisoned after being convicted on charges that included insulting King Mohammed VI.
Two years later, a Moroccan court banned him from practising journalism in the country for 10 years.
Despite the ban and his relocation abroad, Lmrabet has continued to publish political commentary and criticism of the Moroccan authorities through social media platforms.