Lhe verdict, pronounced on December 10, 2024 by the court of first instance of Ain Sebaâ, marks a new episode in the growing tensions between supporters of the right to freedom of expression and politicians perceived as “repressive” towards activists committed against normalization with Israel.
Ismaïl Laghzaoui, an agricultural engineer and active activist in the BDS Morocco movement, was arrested last November, after participating in a demonstration in front of the American consulate in Casablanca. This mobilization aimed to denounce American support for Israel as well as the normalization of relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv, which include trade and security agreements.
The activist had also demonstrated against the presence of two cargo ships from the Maersk company at the port of Tangier, claiming that they were involved in military supplies to Israel.
These actions, which are part of the campaign to boycott economic and military relations with Israel led by BDS Maroc, led to him being prosecuted under article 1-299 of the Moroccan Penal Code. This provision provides for severe sanctions against anyone accused of inciting violence through public speeches, writings or electronic communications.
The Moroccan authorities accuse him of having “incited to commit offenses”, an accusation that his supporters describe as “rushed and unfounded”.
Since his arrest, voices in Morocco and internationally have been raised to denounce what they consider to be a serious attack on freedom of expression.
The Palestinian National Commission for the Boycott of Israel issued a statement calling for the immediate release of Ismaïl Laghzaoui. She called his imprisonment an attempt at intimidation aimed at silencing voices opposing normalization and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The Moroccan Coordination for the Support of Political Prisoners also vigorously denounced the judgment, seeing it as a “arbitrary judgment” and a “new act of repression against freedom of expression guaranteed by the Moroccan Constitution and international conventions ratified by the Kingdom”.
