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| - A Moroccan movie star has been detained for "blasphemous remarks against Islam", police said, while Amnesty International called Wednesday for similar charges to be dropped against a student in Tunisia. Moroccan actor Rafik Boubker, 47, is accused over a video on social media in which he appears "in an abnormal state, making blasphemous remarks against Islam and attacking the sacredness of worship", said national security force DGSN. In the video, he appears to insult imams, call for making religious ablutions with "whisky and vodka" and praise the benefits of alcohol for "connecting with God". Islam is the state religion in Morocco, and while drinking alcohol is forbidden for Muslims, it is largely tolerated. Alcoholic drinks are available in some shops, bars and restaurants, except during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan which has just ended. The DGSN said in a statement published overnight that it had opened a judicial investigation after receiving "a number of complaints", and the actor was taken into custody. Boubker, who has had roles in several hit Moroccan films including "Road to Kabul", apologised for his "inappropriate remarks" in a new video on Instagram on Tuesday. "I was not in a normal state. I just wanted to make a joke," he said. He risks between six months and two years in prison and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 dirhams ($2,000 to $20,000). Also on Wednesday, rights group Amnesty International urged Tunisian authorities to drop all charges against student Emna Chargui, facing trial for attacking Islam on Facebook. Chargui was prosecuted after she shared a post about the novel coronavirus, satirising the style of the Koran. She was due in court Thursday on charges of attacking the sanctity of religion, attacking morality and inciting violence, lawyer Ines Trabelsi told AFP earlier in May. "The prosecution of Emna is yet another illustration of how, despite Tunisia's democratic progress, the authorities continue to use repressive law to undermine freedom of expression," said Amnesty's deputy director for North Africa Amna Guellali. The charges were brought under Article 6 of Tunisia's post-revolution constitution, which mandates the state to defend religion, lawyer Trabelsi had said. The 2014 constitution -- the product of a historic compromise between Tunisian secular and religious parties -- guarantees freedom of belief and conscience, while committing the state to "protecting the sacred and preventing it from being undermined". "It is unacceptable for someone to face a prison sentence of up to three years just for sharing a satirical post on Facebook," Guellali said. Amnesty said the student in her twenties had received threats against her life, and accused the Tunisian authorities of failing to act. "We are calling on the authorities to immediately end her prosecution, investigate the worrying death and rape threats she has been receiving, and ensure she is protected," Guellali said. burs-lg/fz/par
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