7 days ago
Quebec court convicts Moroccan YouTuber Hicham Jerando for defaming Casablanca lawyer
On Monday, July 14, the Quebec Superior Court in Canada convicted Moroccan YouTuber Hicham Jerando, who lives in Montreal, of defaming Casablanca lawyer Adil Said Lamtiri.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Lamtiri following a series of offensive and misleading videos posted by Jerando on his YouTube channel, «Tahadi» according to Moroccan daily Assabah.
The court ordered Jerando to pay a total of 164,514 Canadian dollars in damages, covering financial, moral, and punitive compensation, and mandated the removal of all defamatory content. The judgment is immediately enforceable, even if appealed.
Notably, in May, the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Rabat sentenced Jerando in absentia to 15 years in prison. He was convicted of «forming a terrorist group to prepare and commit terrorist acts as part of a collective project aimed at seriously undermining public order through intimidation, threats, and violence», as well as inciting others to commit terrorist offenses.
Jerando is known for his videos criticizing Moroccan authorities and is also the main suspect in a separate case involving harassment and extortion. That investigation was launched after a citizen filed a complaint alleging she and her family were subjected to threats, defamation, and blackmail by an organized group allegedly led by the YouTuber.
