A prominent Moroccan journalist and government critic has been released from police custody three days after his arrest over defamation charges, the public prosecutor has said.
Ali Lmrabet, a 66-year-old leading figure in Morocco's independent press, was arrested at Tangier airport on Sunday after arriving from Spain, where has been based for years. He was released on Wednesday after public pressure for his release from several media rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
"I only practice journalism. I don't engage in politics," he told RSF after his release. "The fact that I practice independent journalism seems to bother a lot of people."
An investigation against Lmrabet remains open, according to the public prosecutor, who said the journalist is being probed over "defamatory and insulting remarks against individuals and institutions".
