Mohamed Ziane, a Moroccan opposition figure and former minister, has been condemned to five years in prison while serving a three-year sentence in another case, his lawyer confirmed on Saturday.
The former president of Rabat’s bar association was convicted of “embezzlement and squandering of public funds,” according to his son, lawyer Ali Reda Ziane.
The charges are related to donations received by the Moroccan Liberal Party (PML), of which Mohamed Ziane was the founder and chief executive, during the 2015 electoral campaign.
“This is a form of life sentence for an 81-year-old man, even though nothing has been legally proven,” said the lawyer, who intends to fight the decision.
Ziane, who was human rights minister from 1995 to 1996, has been in custody since November 2022, after being sentenced to three years on appeal.
The opposition figure has gained notoriety in recent years for speeches criticizing Moroccan authorities, particularly the intelligence agencies.
He claimed he was being condemned “because of his opinions.”
The procedures stem from an interior ministry complaint on seven charges, including disrespect of public officials and justice, insults to a constituted body, slander, adultery, and sexual harassment.
The Rabat appeals court’s financial crimes chamber convicted the PML treasurer and a party administrative employee to five years and one year in prison, respectively, with a one-year suspended sentence.