Ghaitha Allaki, the wife of Moroccan artist Saad Lamjarred, asked: “Where is justice?”, after a court ruled in France that he was imprisoned for 10 years on charges of rape. She talked about his bargaining to pay the price for his freedom, affirmed his commitment to remain under judicial supervision for a decade, warned those celebrating his pain, and gave emotional testimony about the man she loves.
Al-Allaki sent a long message through her official Instagram account, on Sunday, in which she wrote: “My husband was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. For years, he cooperated, and we provided evidence. We spoke when we were asked to speak, and my husband respected every condition imposed on him. For nearly 10 years, he remained under judicial supervision, and was allowed to travel, and every time he returned. He returned because he trusted justice.”
She revealed the alleged bargaining he was subjected to in exchange for his freedom, and said about that: “We were asked: How much is the price for my husband’s freedom? We were told: If he does not pay, he will go back to prison. We believed that such matters should be taken seriously, and that they should be fully examined and investigated, especially in the absence of forensic evidence to prove the accusation. This is what is difficult for us to accept. We were told that if we do not pay, he will go back to prison. We did not pay, and today he is in prison. We fought to be heard. "to us."
She added: "From my perspective, I feel as if all our warnings, evidence and voices may be ignored. Where is justice when a family says they have provided the authorities with materials showing alleged attempts to put a price on a man's freedom? Where is justice when money is allegedly being discussed in exchange for changing statements? Where is justice when a man spends nearly a decade under judicial supervision, appears whenever needed, leaves only with permission, and always returns because he believed in the system?"
Al-Allaki sent a message to those celebrating her husband’s pain, saying: “To those who are quick to judge, insult, or celebrate: Be careful of the pain you celebrate when it is someone else’s pain. You may know a headline, but you do not know our tears. Joking or finding amusement in the pain of others reveals more about you than it reveals about the people you mock. Remember that there are humans behind the headlines. There is a family in pain. There are people who wake up to find an empty place next to them, and go to sleep. Carrying pain you don't see. You don't have to believe what I believe, but there's a difference between doubting someone and enjoying their suffering. Another family's grief should never become your entertainment.
Saad Lamjarred's wife gave an emotional testimony about the man she loves, through which she wanted to present a close-up picture of him away from the cameras and fame. She said: "I am a wife who has lived next to this man for years. I know him more than just the news headlines, and more than the picture that the public sees. I know the man who returns home when the doors are closed and the cameras disappear. I know the man he is when no one is watching him. I know his heart. I know his kindness. I know his sincerity, tenderness, humility, warmth, and compassion."
She concluded by saying: “I know the way he loves his family with all his heart, the way he protects the people he loves, the way he checks on everyone, remembers the smallest details, gives comfort when someone is hurting, and finds a way to make people smile even when he himself is carrying something heavy. I know his gentleness. I know his strength. I know his sense of responsibility. I know how much he values family, friendship, loyalty, and respect. A protector, how tolerant, how present, and how deeply human he is. He is my husband, my family, and my home.
