Moroccan Activist Sentenced to Prison and Fined for Social Media Post Deemed Blasphemous
RABAT, Morocco – Moroccan activist Fatima Lachgar has been sentenced to a year in prison and a fine of 10,000 Moroccan dirhams (approximately $1,000 USD) after being convicted of “offending religious beliefs” due to a social media post. the verdict, delivered recently, has ignited debate over freedom of expression in the North African nation.
Lachgar’s legal troubles stem from a post on July 31,featuring an old photograph,during a discussion on Platform X about the perceived rise of Islam in France. The post triggered a wave of online condemnation and calls for her arrest from some segments of moroccan society.
The activist first gained public attention in 2009 when she organized a public picnic with young Moroccans during Ramadan, a time when eating and drinking in public is officially prohibited. The act was intended as a exhibition for atheism in Morocco. In 2012, she collaborated with the Dutch institution Women on Waves to bring an abortion ship to morocco, though the vessel was prevented from reaching the country by government intervention. Despite this, Lachgar’s efforts contributed to a national conversation about Morocco’s strict abortion laws.
More recently, Lachgar has been involved with the Collectief Capp (Collective for Abolishing Porn and Prostitution), advocating against prostitution and the porn industry, a position that has found surprising common ground with some conservative Moroccans.
Lachgar’s legal team has announced plans to appeal the conviction. Concerns have been raised regarding her health, as she is coping with complications following a previous cancer diagnosis. The case has renewed scrutiny of the tension between constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and the enforcement of laws related to religious beliefs and sexual conduct in Morocco.