An Internet blogger was set free Thursday while he appeals a two-year prison sentence for allegedly criticizing Morocco’s king Mohammed VI. 
Police arrested Mohammed Erraji last week and he was tried on Monday without the presence of a defence lawyer, according to his family and human rights groups.
According to a local news agency, Erraji was fined and sentenced for “lacking respect toward the person of the king and the royal family.” It said prosecutors at the appeals court in Agadir, on Morocco’s southern coast, agreed with giving Erraji a provisional release.
Other media said the blogger had criticized state-funded programs in this North African nation, including those sponsored by the King, for not being well-run.
The Paris-based rights groups Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Thursday that Erraji was “not guilty of insulting the king” and praised the decision to release him.
“The Moroccan judicial system must now hear his appeal in a proper manner,” the Paris-based watchdog said in a statement. “We hope the outcome will be fair.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written a letter to King Mohammed, pleading him to “ensure the overturning of Erraji’s conviction.”
Erraji has gained an international following, with some social web networks like Facebook, starting a campaign to set him free.
Law experts said Erraji would be retried following the appeals court ruling. No date has yet been set date for a new trial.
The King and Queen were joined by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, dignitaries and the families of those lost on that day. The ceremony drew uniformed emergency medical workers, airline employees and others – 2,000 in attendance altogether. It was an emotional service, with many tears rolling down the faces of the families.
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