Morocco releases dissident journalist Ali Lmrabet

RABAT, July 15 - A Moroccan prosecutor said on Wednesday he had ordered the release of veteran journalist and political commentator Ali Lmrabet after questioning him, although an investigation continues following allegations of defamation and libel.

Lmrabet, 66, who holds French nationality and lives in Spain, was arrested on Sunday on arrival at Tangier airport. He is a political commentator on social media and has been an outspoken critic of Morocco's political system for decades.

"The appropriate legal consequences will be determined once the investigation is completed," the prosecutor's office in Casablanca said in a statement.

In an earlier statement, the prosecutor's office said Lmrabet's arrest was on the basis of several notices issued against him over online content suspected of constituting criminal offences under Moroccan law, including alleged defamation and libel targeting individuals and institutions.

In 2003, Lmrabet was jailed after being convicted on charges that included offending King Mohammed VI. In 2005, a Moroccan court banned him from practising journalism in Morocco for 10 years.

Since then, Lmrabet has remained active as a political commentator on social media. REUTERS