Badil.info is an independent, Arabic-language digital news organization based in Rabat. Founded in 2014 by journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui, it reports on Moroccan public affairs with an emphasis on accountability and citizens’ rights. The outlet covers national and regional politics, justice, the economy and social issues, and publishes opinion columns and interviews. It also runs Badil TV, which produces on‑camera reporting and talk segments, and Badil Sport for football and other athletics. Its editorial motto, “freedom and independence,” and its statement of purpose center on a rights‑based approach, equal distance from political actors, and a willingness to correct mistakes transparently.
Badil.info’s assertive reporting has repeatedly drawn legal pressure. In 2015 a criminal court ordered a three‑month suspension of the site and fined its editor after a defamation case. In 2017 El Mahdaoui was arrested while covering protests in the Rif and later served a three‑year sentence; he was released in July 2020. In 2024–2025 he faced new charges following a complaint by the justice minister, with courts handing him an 18‑month sentence and damages, a prosecution criticized by press‑freedom groups for relying on the penal code instead of Morocco’s press law. Despite these pressures, Badil.info continues to publish text and video journalism that scrutinizes policy, corruption claims and public spending, aiming its coverage at Moroccan readers seeking independent reporting.