Fatima Saadi addresses judicial controversy regarding Al Hoceima tenure

Fatima Saadi, the Minister Delegate in charge of Housing and Urban Policy, has addressed recent controversies regarding a past judicial ruling from her tenure as the former President of the Al Hoceima Urban Commune. Saadi clarified that she has been fully exonerated by a final and binding judicial decision.

The legal dispute originated from a 2014 complaint filed by a citizen regarding an administrative decision Saadi made in 2011. The decision involved demolishing a fence surrounding a private garden to open a public passage for citizens. While an appeals court initially issued a suspended one-month prison sentence in 2016, the Court of Cassation overturned this decision in 2017, citing procedural errors.

Following the Court of Cassation's ruling, the Al Hoceima Court of Appeal issued a final decision on January 25, 2018, upholding the initial acquittal. This ruling became final in December 2019. Supporters emphasize that the case involved a controversial administrative interpretation of public property rather than crimes such as corruption, embezzlement, or bribery, and that her criminal record remains clear.