Moroccan authorities have expelled Belgian lawyer Christophe Marchand who had entered the country to defend whistle-blowing journalist Omar Radi following his arrest on charges of espionage and rape.
Radi denies the charges.
Mr Marchand was detained in the airport of Casablanca and denied contact with his client before he was flown back to his country.
The Moroccan authorities said they expelled the Belgian lawyer because of his “hostility” towards Morocco and his “biased” reports “aimed at damaging the reputation of the country”.
Radi, who has written about corruption among senior civil servants and police violation of human rights, is accused by the Moroccan authorities of espionage and rape.
He has been on hunger strike for 83 days to protest his innocence.
Human rights organisations say Radi has been kept in solitary confinement and his rights to visits have been restricted.
They describe his case as politically motivated and call for his immediate release.
Source: BBC
