Moroccan Jailed for 'Royal Text Message' on Hunger Strike

A Moroccan man is on hunger strike after being jailed for six months for a text message sent from his phone stating that the king's life was in danger, his brother said Friday.

Mohamed Zoujani, 28, was jailed at the beginning of June for "humiliating public authorities with false information," after several people received a text from his phone stating: "the king is in danger in Russia," his brother Mamdouh told Agence France Presse.

King Mohamed VI was due to fly to Russia after visiting Tunisia late last month but instead returned to Morocco.

Zoujani, who comes from Berkane, in northeast Morocco, denies sending any such message, saying his mobile phone was stolen several days before the text was sent. He has been on hunger strike since June 9.

The interior ministry was unable to comment on the incident.

"It's not fair. They gave my brother a six month jail sentence simply because of an SMS sent from his phone," said Mamdouh, adding that he had received death threats.

He claimed his brother was a "royalist," and suggested the authorities had jailed him in revenge for a protest against official corruption that they took part in last year when the monarch was visiting Berkane.

"We support the king... I no longer understand anything in this country."