Overview of the Situation
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a collaborative initiative between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), urgently calls for intervention regarding the alarming circumstances surrounding Mr. El Mahdi Lyoubi, a Moroccan filmmaker, documentarian, musician, and human rights advocate. Currently, Lyoubi is held in pre-trial detention at Oukacha Prison in Casablanca. His arrest on July 10, 2026, occurred as he attempted to board a flight at Rabat airport to return to Marseille after a family visit and scouting for his upcoming documentary. Despite having his passport stamped, he was abruptly stopped by law enforcement, who issued him a travel ban without providing any rationale. Subsequently, he was taken to the Salé police station, where he received a summons to appear before the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca on July 13, 2026, without any details regarding the nature of the investigation or the identity of the officer in charge.
Following a day-long interrogation at the BNPJ, Lyoubi was placed in custody, with his family only being informed of his arrest late that evening. On July 15, he was presented to the prosecutor, who ordered his pre-trial detention and referred him for an immediate appearance before the Casablanca Correctional Court. It wasn't until the afternoon that his family learned he would be appearing in court that same day. The hearing marked the first opportunity for his relatives and supporters to see him since his detention. Lyoubi refused to attend without legal representation due to an ongoing strike by lawyers in Morocco, which had persisted for over a month. The court postponed the case until July 22, allowing him to prepare his defense. While awaiting trial, Lyoubi was transferred to the Oukacha Prison. Reports indicate that he faces charges of "insulting a constitutional institution" under Article 179 of the Penal Code, which could lead to a sentence of up to four years in prison based on the lyrics of his songs.
Context and Implications
On July 22, 2026, Lyoubi appeared before the Ain Sebaa Court, where he requested a postponement of the hearing until July 31 to adequately prepare his defense, as the ongoing lawyers' strike had deprived him of legal representation. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court denied his family's request for provisional release. As of the publication of this urgent appeal, Lyoubi remains in custody at Oukacha Prison. This incident is not isolated; it is part of a broader pattern of systematic repression of artistic expression and civic dissent in Morocco, which has escalated since the rise of the GenZ 212 movement in the fall of 2025. This movement, coordinated by youth via social media and Discord groups, attracted over 185,000 participants and led to the detention of more than 1,000 individuals, some facing sentences of up to 15 years for "obstructing traffic on public roads with barricades." The Observatory emphasizes that Lyoubi's detention represents an arbitrary deprivation of liberty that violates Morocco's constitutional and international obligations. His ongoing prosecution appears to be solely aimed at punishing him for legitimately exercising his artistic and human rights advocacy.
The Observatory urgently calls on Moroccan authorities to immediately release El Mahdi Lyoubi and drop all charges against him, halting any form of judicial harassment directed at him. We urge you to write to Moroccan authorities, demanding:
- The immediate and unconditional release of El Mahdi Lyoubi, whose detention constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of freedom stemming directly from the legitimate exercise of his freedom of expression through his artistic work;
- Ensuring the physical integrity and psychological well-being of El Mahdi Lyoubi and all human rights defenders in Morocco;
- Dropping all charges against El Mahdi Lyoubi and terminating all judicial proceedings against him;
- Strict adherence to fundamental freedoms, particularly ensuring respect for the rights to freedom of thought, opinion, and expression as guaranteed by Article 25 of the Moroccan Constitution and Article 19 of the ICCPR, to which Morocco is a party;
- Guaranteeing that all human rights defenders and artists in Morocco can carry out their legitimate activities—including expressing political views through artistic work—without fear of legal prosecution, arbitrary detention, or surveillance.
As reported by fidh.org.
