Three charged in Sidi Qasim following circulation of video showing man tied to tree and assaulted
Moroccan prosecutors have charged three individuals following the spread of a video on social media depicting an assault in Sidi Qasim. The suspects appeared before the public prosecutor's office on 28 October.
Three charged in Sidi Qasim following video of man restrained and tortured
Morocco's public prosecutor's office has charged three individuals after a video circulated on social media showing a man tied to a tree being beaten and filmed, according to an announcement made by the kingdom's public agency in Sidi Qasim on Wednesday, as reported by Hespress.
The acting prosecutor at the Sidi Qasim district court explained that a judicial investigation was opened immediately after the video spread online, and the investigative task was assigned to the judicial police unit of the royal gendarmerie.
Initial investigation findings revealed that the video documents an incident dating to 11 September 2026, when the victim was suspected of stealing unharvested agricultural crops. The public prosecutor's office had previously investigated the alleged theft separately, resulting in the conviction of the individual concerned in that case.
Investigation into the circumstances of how the suspects treated the victim led to the arrest of three individuals, who were held in custody pending interrogation. These individuals appeared before the public prosecutor's office on 28 October, when they were charged with unlawfully detaining and holding a person without authorisation from the competent authorities, as well as violence, threats and intentional assault, in addition to publishing images of the victim with intent to defame and publicly insult him.
The public prosecutor's office decided to refer the three to court, with one remanded in custody and the other two released on bail pending completion of proceedings.
The kingdom's public prosecutor's office affirmed that the prior conviction related to theft does not exempt those involved in the assault and unlawful detention from criminal responsibility, reaffirming its commitment to applying the law in all matters concerning physical safety and human dignity, whilst ensuring guarantees of fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
This case branches into two separate judicial proceedings arising from the same September incident: the first concerns the theft of agricultural crops and has resulted in conviction, whilst the second concerns the manner in which the suspect was treated and is still ongoing in trial. The three accused have not yet been convicted of the charges attributed to them on the basis of the video.
Source: Hespress