Culture

Moroccan court reduces sentence for rappers convicted over controversial song

Published

3 months ago

July 3, 2024

Two Moroccan rappers known by their stage names “Amine Grave” and “Youss 45”, who were sentenced to two years imprisonment each with a fine of MAD 500 (approximately $50), have had their sentences reduced by the Indictable Misdemeanors Chamber of the Fez Court of Appeal.

The two entertainers were on April 29 found guilty and sentenced by the Indictable Misdemeanors Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Fez following the release of a controversial song titled “Sher Zidi Kobi Atay” which prosecutors say incited minors to engage in prostitution.

Following an appeal by their lawyers on Wednesday, the sentence was reduced from two years to four months, though the court insisted that the song should be removed from YouTube.

The Public Prosecution had charged the two with “inciting minors under 18 to prostitution or debauchery, inciting the commission of a felony or misdemeanor by means of an electronic medium that fulfills the condition of publicity, and participating in such acts”.

The arrest of the rappers had followed complaints filed by a number of civil society activists to the Public Prosecution, demanding the removal of the song from YouTube and social media platforms due to its lyrics that were seen as contributing to “the spread of corruption and prostitution and constituting a violation of moral values”.

At the time, the controversial song had gone viral on YouTube and other social media platforms, making international headlines and prompting human rights activists to call for its removal, accusing the rappers of glorifying the rape of minors.

Many netizens in the North African country described the court’s initial ruling in April as a firm response to the group’s explicit incitement of underage girls to debauchery, however, the new decision by the Fez Court of Appeal to reduce the rappers’ sentences comes after a reconsideration of the charges against them.

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Culture

Rwandan YouTuber Rashid Hakuzimana sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for criticizing govt

Published

22 hours ago

October 10, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A high court in Rwanda has sentenced a YouTuber, Rashid Hakuzimana, who known for his critical commentary on the government, to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of breaching laws on genocide denial, inciting ethnic division, and spreading false information.

The judge who sentenced Hakuzimana— who also describes himself as a politician— said his remarks on YouTube, such as those suggesting that genocide orphans were not as well cared for as the children of senior government officials, amounted to fuelling division.

Hakuzimana was arrested in 2021, with his trial bringing significant media attention, while reflecting ongoing tensions surrounding governance in Rwanda.

His commentary often touched on sensitive subjects, including the treatment of genocide orphans compared to the children of senior government officials.

He was accused, among other things, of denying the Rwandan genocide, during which approximately 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists.

The case not only highlighted the Rwandan government’s stringent stance on dissent but also raised broader questions about freedom of speech, accountability, and the historical memory of the 1994 genocide.

Rwandan law criminalizes any attempts to deny, downplay, or justify the tragic historical event, while the charges against Hakuzimana also included claims of inciting ethnic division and spreading false information, notably for asserting that anyone who challenges President Paul Kagame in elections is subsequently jailed.

During the trial, Hakuzimana who represented himself, denied the allegations, asserting that his arrest stemmed from his critical views of the government expressed through his popular YouTube channel, Rashid TV.

Culture

MultiChoice targets illegal streamers in crackdown against piracy

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Satellite television services provider, MultiChoice, says it is now targeting illegal streamers in its renewed crackdown against piracy.

Frikkie Jonker, the Anti-Piracy Director for Broadcast and Cybersecurity at MultiChoice-owned Irdeto, in a statement on Tuesday, says the company now uses tools to analyse illegal streams and identify the individuals responsible for streaming pirated DStv content.

Jonker stated that authorities knew who the end-users of these pirate streaming services were and warned that MultiChoice would consider legal action against them once criminal proceedings against such operators had been finalised.

“We are going after the whole ecosystem,” Jonker said in response to a question asking who MultiChoice is targeting.

“The company has carried out several raids in recent months, resulting in the arrest of several suspects allegedly involved in pirate streaming operations.

“Suspects include individuals allegedly distributing pirate streaming devices and login credentials for illegal streaming services like Waka TV.

“We have identification tools that we can use to analyse a stream of a pirate operation. By analysing it, we can say that the stream is using account number ‘123’, and then we take that account down,” Jonker said.

Jonker emphasised the importance of the crackdown, stating that the impact of pirate streaming services on platforms such as DStv Stream and Netflix is difficult to quantify due to their size.