RABAT, Nov 2 — A Moroccan court sentenced a young cartoonist to four years in prison for "insulting the king" over caricatures he drew of King Mohammed VI, his lawyer said yesterday.

Lawyer Farouk Mehdaoui said 22-year-old Yasser Mounbir was also fined 40,000 dirhams (about RM16,535) for the offence.

Mounbir, who was convicted of "insulting the king" and "insulting public officials", was arrested in June, after he posted his caricatures of the monarch on Instagram.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights had called for his release.