Historian Journalist University Professor Writer Political activist
Known for
Political activism
Maati Monjib (Arabic: المعطي منجب, born 6 March 1962) is a Moroccan university professor, journalist, historian, writer and political activist. Monjib holds two PhDs, one from France in North African politics and another from Senegal on African political history.[1] Monjib is known in Morocco for supporting Moroccan investigative journalism. He has criticized the monarchy in columns in the foreign press in the past and once ran a center that held meetings that included opposition groups.[2]
In 2015, Monjib was brought to justice along with six other journalists and activists in Morocco, and charged with "threatening national security", before being banned from traveling outside the country, in a case that was widely criticised by human rights groups and was considered as politically motivated.[3] Since then, the trial has been postponed 15 times.[4]
On 29 December 2020, Monjib was arrested in Rabat for "money laundering and fraud".[5] The accusations from the Moroccan authorities claimed misuse of funds he received from international NGOs, even if the latter never expressed any doubt as to how the funds were used.[6] After a hunger strike, he was granted conditional release on 23 March 2021.[7] Several international groups and organizations contested and campaigned against the "harassment" Monjib faced, including the Committee to Protect Journalists,[8]Amnesty International,[9] and the European Parliament.[10]
