# Forum in English  > Offtopic  > Offtopic  >  Moroccan sentenced for imitating prince on Facebook

## wise-wistful

A Moroccan court sentenced a computer engineer to three years in prison late on Friday for setting up a Facebook account in the name of King Mohammed's brother.
Despite an appeal to Prince Moulay Rachid for clemency, the court found 26-year-old Fouad Mortada guilty of falsifying data and imitating the prince without his consent. It also fined him $1,300 (10,000 dirhams), Mortada's lawyer Ali Ammar said. 
"The importance of the personality at the heart of this affair clearly influenced how the case was handled," Ammar said.
Mortada's brother Ilyas said the family would appeal. Fouad Mortada said he set up the account on the social-networking site in mid-January out of admiration for the 37-year-old prince, who is second in line to the throne. 
He said he was arrested on February 5, blindfolded and taken to an unknown building where he was beaten and insulted, according to a Web site set up by his supporters. 
His supporters said that police wanted to establish whether there was a relationship between Fouad and terrorist groups seeking to harm the royal family but found no such link. A source close to the Moroccan security services denied that Mortada was tortured. 
"It was just a joke, a gag," Fouad was quoted as saying on Helpfouad.com. "I regret my gesture and beg forgiveness from my whole family for the harm that I have caused them." 

Story Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

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