Moroccan โActivist Sentenced to Prison and Finedโฃ for Social Media Post Deemed Blasphemous
RABAT, Morocco – Moroccan activist Fatima Lachgar has been sentenced to a yearโ in prison and a fineโ of 10,000 โMoroccan dirhams (approximately $1,000 โUSD) after being convicted of “offending religious beliefs” โdueโค to a โขsocial media post. the verdict, delivered โrecently,โข has โignited debate โover freedom โof expression in the North African nation.
Lachgar’s legal โขtroubles stem fromโ a post on July 31,featuring an old โphotograph,during a discussion on โฃPlatform Xโฃ about the perceived โคrise of Islam inโข France. The โฃpost triggered a wave of online condemnation and calls for โคher arrest from someโ segments of moroccan society.
The โขactivist first gained publicโข attention in 2009 when โฃshe organizedโฃ a public picnic with โyoung Moroccans during Ramadan, a โคtime when eating and drinking in public is officially prohibited. The act โwas โขintended as a exhibition for atheism in Morocco. In โฃ2012, โขshe collaborated with the Dutch institution Women onโ Waves to bringโ an โฃabortion ship toโค morocco, โthough the vessel was prevented from reaching theโ country by government โintervention. Despite this, Lachgar’s efforts contributed to a national conversationโ about โขMorocco’s strict โขabortion laws.
More recently, Lachgar has been involved with theโ Collectief Capp (Collective for Abolishing Porn โand Prostitution), โadvocating against prostitution and the porn industry, a โposition that has foundโฃ surprising common โground with some conservative Moroccans.
Lachgar’s legal team has announced plans โคto appealโ the โขconviction. Concerns have been raised โregarding her health, as she โis โcoping โคwith complications โfollowing a previous cancer diagnosis. โฃThe case has renewed scrutiny of the tension between constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and theโ enforcement of laws related to religious beliefsโ and sexual conduct in Morocco.