RABAT: United Nations rights experts have concluded that Morocco’s detention of opposition journalist Soulaimane Raissouni is “arbitrary,” and called for his immediate release.
Raissouni was jailed on appeal for five years in February, one of several journalists critical of Morocco’s government to have been imprisoned for sex crimes.
He was arrested in May 2020 after a young activist pressed charges against him.
Raissouni has always maintained his innocence, and says he was prosecuted “because of his opinions.”
In a report seen by AFP on Tuesday, the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that “violations of the right to a fair trial were of such gravity that Mr.Raissouni’s detention is arbitrary.”
The report also voiced “deep concern for his physical and psychological well-being,” and said the “appropriate move would be to release him immediately.”
After he was detained, Raissouni staged a 122-day hunger strike, which the experts said has affected his health.
He was arrested two days after publishing an editorial criticizing the authorities for taking over-zealous measures during the coronavirus pandemic.
The UN experts said publishing the column was a matter of freedom of expression, and concluded that he had been “detained for peacefully exercising that right.”
Moroccan authorities insist his trial was fair and that the charges have nothing to do with his journalism.
Since 2019, two other Moroccan journalists, Omar Radi and Taoufik Bouachrine, have been sentenced to prison terms for sexual assault, accusations they have denied.
Radi was also convicted of espionage.
Morocco stands at 136 out of 180 in the Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) world press freedom ranking of countries.
UN calls detention of Moroccan journalist ‘arbitrary’
https://arab.news/9sdwq
UN calls detention of Moroccan journalist ‘arbitrary’
- Raissouni was jailed on appeal for five years in February
- He was arrested in May 2020 after a young activist pressed charges against him
WEF report spotlights real-world AI adoption across industries
DUBAI: A new report by the World Economic Forum, released Monday, highlights companies across more than 30 countries and 20 industries that are using artificial intelligence to deliver real-world impact.
Developed in partnership with Accenture, “Proof over Promise: Insights on Real-World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations” draws on insights from two cohorts of MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions), a WEF initiative focused on AI solutions that have moved beyond pilot phases to deliver measurable performance gains.
As part of its AI Global Alliance, the WEF launched the MINDS program in 2025, announcing its first cohort that year and a second cohort this week. Cohorts are selected through an evaluation process led by the WEF’s Impact Council — an independent group of experts — with applications open to public- and private-sector organizations across industries.
The report found a widening gap between organizations that have successfully scaled AI and those still struggling, while underscoring how this divide can be bridged through real-world case studies.
Based on these case studies and interviews with selected MINDS organizations, the report identified five key insights distinguishing successful AI adopters from others.
It found that leading organizations are moving away from isolated, tactical uses of AI and instead embedding it as a strategic, enterprise-wide capability.
The second insight centers on people, with AI increasingly designed to complement human expertise through closer collaboration, rather than replace it.
The other insights focus on the systems needed to scale AI effectively, including strengthening data foundations and strategic data sources, as well as moving away from fragmented technologies toward unified AI platforms.
Lastly, the report underscores the need for responsible AI, with organizations strengthening governance, safeguards and human oversight as automated decision-making becomes more widespread.
Stephan Mergenthaler, managing director and chief technology officer at the WEF, said: “AI offers extraordinary potential, yet many organizations remain unsure about how to realize it.
“The selected use cases show what is possible when ambition is translated into operational transformation and our new report provides a practical guide to help others follow the path these leaders have set.”
Among the examples cited in the report is a pilot led by the Saudi Ministry of Health in partnership with AmplifAI, which used AI-enabled thermal imaging to support early detection of diabetic foot conditions.
The initiative reduced clinician time by up to 90 percent, cut treatment costs by as much as 80 percent, and delivered a 10 time increase in screening capacity. Following clinical trials, the solution has been approved by regulatory authorities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.
The report also points to work by Fujitsu, which deployed AI across its supply chain to improve inventory management. The rollout helped cut inventory-related costs by $15 million, reduce excess stock by $20 million and halve operational headcount.
In India, Tech Mahindra scaled multilingual large language models capable of handling 3.8 million monthly queries with 92 percent accuracy, enabling more inclusive access to digital services across markets in the Global South.
“Trusted, advanced AI can transform businesses, but it requires organizing data and processes to achieve the best of technology and — this is key — it also requires human ingenuity to maximize returns on AI investments,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer at Accenture.
