RABAT, Morocco — Three journalists who were sentenced to years in prison after writing about corruption and abuse of power in Morocco were released Monday after receiving pardons from King Mohammed VI.
Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine and Soulaimane Raissouni were among 2,278 people pardoned this week, according to Morocco's Ministry of Justice. The pardons were announced as Morocco prepared to celebrate its national holiday marking the 25th anniversary of when Mohammed VI ascended to the throne.
Moroccan law affords the king, as head of state, the power to grant such pardons, which apply to the journalists' prison sentences but not to the civil penalties or the money that courts ordered them to pay their accusers.
The journalists were freed from prison in Tiflet, a town east of Rabat, to a group of ecstatic supporters.
Human rights activists applauded the pardons, but said the move didn't exonerate what they have called the politically motivated manner in which Moroccan authorities pursued and prosecuted the journalists.
''Congratulations. Awaiting the others — and democracy,'' human rights activist Fouad Abdelmoumni wrote on Facebook, referencing that a number of dissidents remained behind bars in the North African kingdom.
The journalists have for years been emblematic of Morocco's crackdown on those who criticize authorities, including businesses and officials with close ties to the palace.
Morocco, a constitutional monarchy, is known as a stable and reliable counterterrorism ally and alluring tourist destination in the United States and Europe. But the journalists' prosecutions sparked criticism from the U.S. State Department, the European Parliament and a raft of press freedom organizations.
