El Omari Denies Conspiring Against King Mohammed VI and Morocco, Calls for Investigation of Claims

Ilyas El Omari, the president of the Tangier-Tetouan Al Hoceima region, called for an immediate investigation into the allegations of conspiring against the throne made against him by Isaac Charia, the lawyer for detained Hirak Rif activists.

Following the serious accusation that Charia made during his client Nassef Zefzafi’s trial, which recommenced on Monday in Casablanca, El Omari’s lawyer, Ahmed Arehmouch, issued a strong denial.

Zefzafi’s lawyer said on Monday before the judge of Casablanca’s Court of Appeal that El Omari, who is also the general secretary of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), had “contacted Zefzaf many times to incite him and other Hirak activists to conspire against King Mohammed VI and Morocco.”

The Prosecutor General’s Bureau has already requested an investigation to verify the veracity of the allegations, reported Moroccan media.

“We were surprised by the publication of statements made by lawyers who are defending the detained Hirak protesters before the Court of Appeal in Casablanca,” said Arehmouch.

The statement was published by Souhaila Riki, spokesperson of PAM, on her official Facebook account.

Arehmoush added that “in view of the content of the statement, which contains false allegations, El Omari condemns and deplores these allegations.”The lawyer statement that El Omari has called for an immediate investigation into the matter to determine the circumstances and objectives behind the promotion of the claims.

According to the same statement, El Omari will reserve the right to sue accusers.

Casablanca’s Court of Appeal has decided to postpone Zefzafi’s trial to November 28. He and the other detained protesters are facing a variety of serious charges, including “undermining the State’s domestic security, sabotaging, killing and looting, accepting money and other material means to fund propaganda meant to prejudice Morocco’s unity and sovereignty, shaking citizens’ loyalty towards the Moroccan State and institutions, organizing unauthorized protest and holding unauthorized public rallies,” according to the court