Hamid El Mahdaoui

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Hamid El Mahdaoui
حميد المهدوي
Born (1979-01-01) January 1, 1979 (age 46)
Khnichet, Morocco
Alma materIbn Tofail University
OccupationJournalist
OrganizationBadil.info
Known forindependent journalism, human rights activism
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers1.29 million
Views412.2 million
Last updated: 23 October 2025

Hamid El Mahdaoui (Arabic: حميد المهدوي or Arabic: حميد المهداوي; born January 1, 1979), spelled also as Elmahdaouy[1][2] is a Moroccan journalist and activist. Since 2014, he is the founder and the editor-in-chief of the online news website Badil.info (lit. Alternative.info).[3] On July 20, 2017, El Mahdaoui was arrested in Al Hoceima, and later sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 20.000 Dirhams for his activism in Hirak Rif.[1]

Biography

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Hamid El Mahdaoui was born on January 1, 1979, in the Moroccan town of Khnichet, northeast of Rabat. He lived in several cities to study and work. After working in several local newspapers, he decided to found his own news website, Badil.info, in 2014.[3]

Trials and imprisonment

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Protest in Paris demanding the release of Hirak Prisoners, among which is El Mahdaoui

Hamid El Mahdaoui was arrested and convicted to fines in several occasions.[4][5]

In July 2017, he was sentenced to prison and a fine for "inciting for participation in a banned protest" and "breaking the law through speeches and shouting in public places" related to the Hirak Rif Movement.[1]

In the early morning of 20 July 2020, he was released after 3 years of imprisonment.[6]

In November 2024, El Mahdaoui was convicted by a Moroccan court of defamation, public insult, and dissemination of false allegations against Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi, following a series of videos published on his YouTube channel between February and December 2023. He was sentenced to eighteen months in prison and ordered to pay 1.5 million dirhams in damages. The Court of Apeapl in Rabat upheld the verdict in June 2025.[7][8]

Press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), denounced the ruling as a misuse of the Penal Code to prosecute journalistic expression instead of applying the Press and Publications Law.[9] In September 2025, an administrative court also confirmed the refusal to renew his professional press card, citing his activity as primarily based on digital broadcasting rather than recognized journalistic media.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Al Hoceima March: Journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui Sentenced to 3 Months in Prison". Morocco World News. July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  2. ^ "Hamid Elmahdaouy". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Hamid El Mahdaoui, une tête brûlée derrière les barreaux". Le Desk. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  4. ^ "Torture report leads to Morocco defamation conviction – Global Journalist". Global Journalist. July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  5. ^ "Trial of Journalist Hamid El Mehdaoui Postponed to the 6th of October". The Moroccan Times. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  6. ^ "Libération du journaliste Hamid Elmahdaouy après trois ans de prison". Le Desk. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  7. ^ Faouzi, Adil (June 30, 2025). "Court of Appeal Upholds 18-Month Prison Sentence for Journalist El Mahdaoui". Morocco World News. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  8. ^ MASAITI, Amira EL (June 30, 2025). "Appeals court upholds journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui's prison sentence and fine". HESPRESS English. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  9. ^ "Morocco: The unjust conviction of journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui must be overturned". Reporters Without Borders. November 27, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
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