Morocco has stepped up a sweeping campaign of repression that has disproportionately targeted young people mobilised within the GenZ movement, as well as rappers, content creators, independent journalists, students and labour activists, according to reporting by an international analysis of events since late 2025.
Scale of arrests and detentions
The account says more than 5,000 arrests were recorded since the end of September 2025, and that about 2,000 people remained in detention in early April 2026. Sentences handed down to some defendants have been severe, with prison terms of up to 15 years reported, including in cases involving minors.
- Groups targeted: GenZ activists, rappers, journalists, content creators, students, the unemployed and local mobilisation for services.
- Methods: arrests, prosecutions, travel arrests at airports affecting diaspora, and criminal sentences.
- Use of force: the Royal Gendarmerie is reported to have used live ammunition in at least one incident where three young people were killed in the Lakliaa region near Agadir.
Artists, influencers and the independent press under pressure
The crackdown has extended to cultural voices and social-media personalities. Several rappers have been prosecuted or convicted in relation to songs or posts deemed critical of the authorities. Specific cases cited include:
| Artist | Alleged penalty / action |
|---|---|
| Jawad Asradi ("Pause Flow") | Sentenced in November 2025 to three months in prison, suspended |
| Hamza Raid | Sentenced to six months in prison, suspended |
| Souhaib Qabli ("L7ASSAL"), Fez | 20 years old; sentenced in March 2026 to eight months in prison |
| El Mahdi Lyoubi ("Mehdi Black Wind") | Arrested and placed in pre-trial detention in July 2026 |
Content creators and influencers are reported to be subject to arrests and surveillance aimed at encouraging self-censorship online. The repression is described as also reaching into the diaspora, with arrests at airports for social-media publications.
Independent journalism targeted
The documentation names the independent press as a consistent target of state action. One noted case involves Ali Lmrabet, a 66-year-old French–Moroccan journalist with a long history in independent media who was previously imprisoned in 2003 and banned from working for ten years. He was arrested on 12 July 2026 at Tangier airport on return from Spain, placed in police custody and referred to the prosecutor’s office on allegations of "dissemination of false information undermining constitutional institutions" on the basis of multiple wanted notices, the report says.
Implications and context
The reported measures reflect a broadening of state measures to suppress dissent across multiple social spheres — from cultural expression and online commentary to street-level mobilisation. The detention of large numbers of young people, prosecutions of artists for their creative work, and the use of live ammunition in at least one confrontation point to a security-led approach to political dissent.
For South Africa and other states with sizeable Moroccan diasporas, the accounts underline persistent challenges for travellers and exiles who maintain ties to political movements at home. The targeting of journalists and creators also raises familiar international concerns about press freedom and the shrinking of civic space.
Authorities in Morocco have defended measures in the past as necessary for public order and national security; the reporting focused on recent arrests and prosecutions does not include statements from Moroccan officials responding to these specific allegations.
The episode will be watched by rights groups, regional governments and cultural communities for its implications on free expression, the safety of activists abroad and the treatment of minors within the justice system.
