Ahmed Benchemsi is a Moroccan journalist and founder and publisher of TelQuel magazine and its Arabic edition, Nichane, both top-rated publications repeatedly subject to harassment and pressure from the Moroccan monarchy. He is also the co-founder of the irreverent web magazine Free Arabs. Benchemsi has been sued, interrogated, and threatened with death as a result of his views. His persecution has earned him support from American and European human rights groups and free press watchdogs, as well as coverage from the BBC, Al Jazeera, The Economist, The Guardian, Le Monde, and El País. He was a 2007 recipient of the prestigious Samir Kassir Award for independent Middle Eastern journalism. He is currently the advocacy and communications director for Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division.