Morocco's GenZ Protests Echo the History of Rapper Arrests
The GenZ 212 Catalyst and the Criminalization of Artistic Dissent
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Morocco’s Legal Battleground: The Doctrine of Circumvention
The Constitutional Mirage and the “Red Lines”
Morocco’s constitution provides for the freedom of thought, opinion, and expression in all forms, including the creation, publishing, and display of artistic materials. However, this freedom is conditional and severely restricted in practice. The law explicitly criminalizes speech considered critical of Islam, the institution of the monarchy, or the government’s positions regarding territorial integrity, specifically concerning Western Sahara/Moroccan Sahara. These three topics represent the immutable “red lines” of Moroccan political discourse.
The Weaponization of the Penal Code (Articles 263 and 265)
While Morocco enacted a new Press and Publication Law in 2016 which purportedly eliminated custodial sentences for non-violent speech offenses committed by journalists and bloggers, authorities routinely disregard this framework when prosecuting critics. Instead, they apply the more severe, imprisonment-carrying provisions of the general Penal Code to activists, bloggers, and rappers. Lawyers defending these individuals have repeatedly argued that cases involving non-violent criticism, such as social media posts or song lyrics, should legally fall under the press and publishing jurisdiction, but courts consistently choose to circumvent this application of the law.
The two central Penal Code articles employed to silence critical artistic voices are:
- Article 263:This provision criminalizes “showing contempt” toward “public servants in the exercise of their duty,” with the intention of “undermining their honor”.
- Article 265:This article criminalizes “showing contempt” toward state institutions.
By utilizing the Penal Code for speech offenses, authorities ensure that critics face guaranteed prison sentences, demonstrating what human rights groups describe as a continued “intolerance for those who criticize state institutions”.
Case Studies in Political Suppression: The Rapper Quartet
The cases of the three Moroccan rappers: L7a9d, Gnawi, and Mr. Crazy provide a detailed chronology of the state’s evolving strategies for neutralizing critical artistic voices over the last decade.
A. L7a9d (Mouad Belghouat): Establishing the Precedent (2012)
Mouad Belghouat (born 1998), known as L7a9d/El Haqed, (“The Enraged”), was a highly visible figure and a driving voice within the February 20 Movement, which emerged from the 2011 Arab Spring protests demanding comprehensive reforms. An active member who helped write the movement’s slogans, his involvement made him an immediate and high-profile target for repression. The state’s pursuit of him was relentless; after an initial arrest and four-month sentence in 2011 on questionable assault charges – a case widely denounced as a fabricated political trial – he was arrested again in March 2012. This second case centered squarely on his song “Kilab ed-Dowla” (Dogs of the State), which explicitly denounced police corruption.
The primary evidence presented against L7a9d was a YouTube video set to his song, which contained a photo-montage of a policeman whose head had been replaced by that of a donkey. L7a9d denied any connection to the production or online posting of the video, arguing that the court failed to present any concrete evidence linking him to the photo-montage. Nevertheless, the court convicted him under Articles 263 and 265 of the Penal Code for “showing contempt” toward public servants and state institutions. He was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 1,000 dirhams ($110), serving his time at Oukacha Prison in Casablanca before his release in March 2013.
L7a9d’s prosecution served as the critical legal test case, demonstrating that Moroccan courts could effectively criminalize highly symbolic political speech, regardless of the direct evidence linking the artist to the production of the offensive material. This outcome immediately established a chilling effect following the initial period of mass protest, confirming the fears of many that the space for dissent was rapidly closing. The case cemented L7a9d’s status not just as a rapper, but as a symbol of the struggle for free expression, earning him international recognition, including a nomination for the Sakharov Prize, while forcing him into exile in Brussels by 2015 to avoid further persecution.
B. Mr. Crazy (Othman Atiq): Criminalizing Youth (2014)
Othman Atiq (born 1997), known as Mr. Crazy, was only 17 years old at the time of his arrest in August 2014. His songs, such as “Aqliya Mhabsa” (Prison Mindset), “Hyati Naqsa” (My Life is Incomplete), and “Casa Mkarfsa” (Casablanca is Dirty), spoke directly to the harsh realities of Casablanca’s unemployed youth, describing a world where young people “steal or they deal,” and detailing complicit working arrangements with the police. His provocative music videos, which included simulated scenes of drug use and violence to depict life in the city’s disfavoured neighbourhoods, had garnered millions of views on social media, drawing the ire of authorities.
Atiq was convicted under a complex, layered set of charges:
- Political/Institutional: “Insulting a state body”, specifically the police and judiciary, and most significantly, “distorting the Moroccan national anthem.” This charge was based on lyrics from his song “Hyati Naqsa” which critically referenced the anthem, stating, “The birthplace of the free in the national anthem is just a word… the source of lights for me is just a dream.” (under the Penal Code).
- Moral/Social: Producing and displaying content “harmful to public morality” (under the Press Code).
- Criminalization of Culture: “Incitement to consume drugs” (under the Narcotics Law).
He was sentenced to three months in a juvenile detention facility and fined 500 dirhams. With time served since his arrest on August 8, he was released on November 8, 2014. This layering of charges, particularly the inclusion of the highly symbolic charge of distorting the national anthem, serves a powerful dual purpose. It not only criminalizes the act of criticism but actively recasts social commentary as an act of national disrespect. By bundling charges related to drugs, morality, and patriotism, the state thoroughly delegitimizes the artist’s message, framing the critical rapper as a source of moral decay and anti-patriotic sentiment. This tactic effectively shifts the blame for the country’s dire economic conditions and social disorder onto the cultural producers rather than the governing institutions.
The case placed Morocco’s constitutional guarantees of free expression, adopted in 2011, in stark contrast with its repressive laws. Human Rights Watch condemned the arrest, noting that jailing a 17-year-old for his songs sends the wrong message in a country that purports to host international music festivals and human rights conferences. The prosecution of Mr. Crazy, following closely on the heels of the imprisonment of rapper Mouad Belghouat (L7a9d), demonstrated a consistent pattern of using the justice system to target and silence the voices of a disaffected youth.
C. Gnawi (Mohamed Mounir): Tactical De-politicization (2019)
Mohamed Mounir (born 1988), performing as Simo El Gnawi/Lgnawi, released the track “Aacha El Chaab” (Long Live the People) alongside two other rappers, Lz3er and Weld El Griya, in October 2019. The song quickly went viral, accumulating over 20 million views on YouTube within a month and becoming a national talking point. The track was a blistering, explicit critique of systemic failures, detailing the country’s widening economic gap, high unemployment, drug abuse, and state corruption. It also reflected on the Hirak protest movement in the Rif region and contained passages widely interpreted as crossing Morocco’s speech “red lines,” including a section by Weld El Griya that delivered sharp, direct criticism of the King and his advisers, a major taboo in the kingdom.
Gnawi was arrested on November 1, 2019, just days after the song’s release. However, the official charges were meticulously de-linked from the politically explosive track. Authorities charged him with “insulting the police” under the influence of alcohol. During the trial, a police lawyer emphasized that the proceedings were merely a “penal code matter” and had “nothing to do with freedom of expression,” a claim seemingly supported by the fact that his co-performers on “Aacha El Chaab” were not arrested. On November 25, 2019, the Court of First Instance in Salé sentenced Gnawi to one year in prison and a 1,000-dirham fine, a verdict that was later upheld on appeal.
This case provides a perfect illustration of the de-linking strategy. The authorities carefully attributed the arrest to a minor, tangential offense, rather than the highly political and immensely popular song. This tactic succeeded in characterizing the case as a matter of administrative respect for functionaries, effectively deflecting international criticism, such as that from Amnesty International, which condemned the “disgraceful verdict“, away from the suppression of high-level political critique and onto a narrower issue of public decorum. The authorities underscored this tactical choice by not arresting the two other rappers who participated in “Aacha El Chaab,” confirming that Gnawi was specifically targeted due to his influence and the political impact of the main track, while maintaining a legally defensible, if politically transparent, pretext for his imprisonment.
D. The Case of Youss45: Drawing the Analytical Line (2024)
Youssef El Melyani, known as Youss45, was arrested and sentenced and his collaborator Men Grave for their song “Kbi Atay” presents a complex and analytically distinct case within the landscape of Moroccan artistic prosecution. Unlike the cases involving overt political dissent from figures like L7a9d, Gnawi, and Mr. Crazy, this arrest was not primarily triggered by the state acting unilaterally to defend its authority against criticism. Instead, it was catalyzed by public outcry, with segments of the population and civil society organizations, such as the “Ma Taqish Waladi” (Don’t Touch My Child) association, actively demanding the rappers’ arrest and the removal of the song from YouTube, a demand the court ultimately granted.
The charges laid against them were severe and criminal in nature: “inciting minors to prostitution, inciting a felony or misdemeanor through a publicly accessible electronic medium, and participating in those acts.” The initial two-year prison sentence for each artist, later reduced on appeal to four months, reflected the gravity with which the judiciary viewed the offense. This case, therefore, sits at the contentious intersection of artistic freedom, moral panic, and the protection of minors, creating a deep schism among human rights advocates.
This schism was starkly illustrated in the divided reactions from human rights organizations. Abdelilah El Khadiri of the Moroccan Center for Human Rights argued that while singing is generally a form of artistic expression, the content of “Kbi Atay” constituted a direct incitement to criminal acts, representing a “moral decay” and an “ethical crisis” among youth that required a penal response. In contrast, Idris El Sedraoui of the Moroccan League for Citizenship and Human Rights, while condemning hate speech, criticized the “strict and unfair” prison terms. He advocated for a clear legal framework that employs alternative penalties, such as fines, travel bans, or performance restrictions, rather than imprisonment, and highlighted the discriminatory application of the law, where some artists are prosecuted while others for similar acts are not.
The case also sparked a fierce debate within the artistic community itself. While the rappers and their defense maintained the song was a misunderstood attempt to innovate within a musical heritage, other prominent rappers like Small X, Raid and Khtek voiced solidarity, with the latter stating, “No one should go to jail for a rap line, no matter what that line is.” This internal conflict was further amplified when Moroccan world champion Mustafa Lakhsem unexpectedly entered the fray, calling the sentence “very unfair” and hiring his personal lawyer for the defense, arguing that the penalty was disproportionate compared to sentences for violent crimes.
Ultimately, the prosecution of Youss45 and Men Grave is analytically distinct from the prosecutions of L7a9d, Gnawi, and Mr. Crazy. The latter cases primarily involved the state defending its political authority and reputation against non-violent political and social criticism, using charges like “insulting officials” or “distorting the national anthem.” The “Kbi Atay” case, however, was rooted in the state acting upon societal pressure to enforce fundamental criminal and moral standards, pitting the right to freedom of expression against the imperative to protect vulnerable groups from what was widely perceived as harmful incitement. This distinction underscores a broader, more global tension: the limit of artistic liberty when it collides with the protection of public morality and the safety of minors, a line that Moroccan society and its judiciary are still actively negotiating.
Synthesis, Implications, and Policy Recommendations
The arrests of Moroccan rappers, from L7a9d in 2012 to the recent detention of Raid amid the Genz212 protests, illustrate a deliberate, institutionally entrenched strategy designed to neutralize critical voices.
The Recurring Pattern of Judicial Abuse
The analysis confirms the existence of systematic judicial abuse in Morocco. The consistent application of the Penal Code, specifically Articles 263 (Insulting Public Servants) and 265 (Contempt for State Institutions), serves the strategic purpose of circumventing the country’s own Press Law, which offers greater protection and prohibits custodial sentences for speech offenses. This mechanism creates a fundamental legal incoherence regarding freedom of expression, where statutory guarantees are effectively rendered null by judicial selection of repressive codes.
Moroccan rap artists function as essential chroniclers of the nation’s deepest class and economic grievances. Their lyrics reflect precisely the socio-economic frustrations articulated by the Genz212 movement in 2025, the crumbling infrastructure, lack of opportunity, and systemic corruption. The state’s tactic of framing these artists as criminals (L7a9d, Gnawi) or sources of moral decay (Mr. Crazy) is a direct, systematic attempt to silence this collective cry for dignity, shifting the narrative from state failure to individual delinquency.
Implications and International Obligations
The high-visibility imprisonment of influential rappers creates a profound and widespread chilling effect across Moroccan society. Artists, activists, and ordinary citizens are coerced into self-censorship, understanding that expressing non-violent critical views carries the risk of career destruction and severe prison sentences.
These actions place Morocco in direct violation of both its internal constitutional commitments and its international obligations. While the Moroccan Constitution affirms freedom of expression in Article 25, the state’s behavior contradicts this guarantee. Furthermore, Morocco ratified the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1979, which mandates that everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has explicitly determined that prohibitions on displays of lack of respect for belief systems or institutions are generally incompatible with the Covenant. The continued application of Articles 263 and 265 represents a direct contravention of these obligations.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
The crackdown on Genz212 protesters, symbolized by the arrest of Raid, is not a new security posture but a continuation of the legal repression perfected over the last decade through the trials of rappers like L7a9d, Gnawi, and Mr. Crazy. Until Morocco dismantles its doctrine of legal circumvention and honors its constitutional and international commitments to fundamental freedoms, the powerful, raw dissent of Moroccan rap, the true voice of the streets, will continue to be met by the silence of the prison cell.
Based on the preceding analysis, the following policy framework is proposed:
- Immediate Revision of the Penal Code: Morocco’s parliament must undertake an urgent revision of the Penal Code, eliminating all non-violent speech offenses that conflict with international standards. Specifically, articles such as 263, 265, and 179 must be repealed or substantially restricted to exclude political and social criticism expressed non-violently.
- Strict Adherence to Press Law Jurisdiction: The judiciary must cease the tactical use of the Penal Code to prosecute non-violent speech by bloggers, activists, and artists. Courts should be strictly mandated to apply Law No. 88.23 on publishing and the press to such cases, thereby removing the penalty of imprisonment for non-violent critical expression.
- Protection of Artists as Human Rights Defenders: International legal and monitoring bodies should officially recognize Moroccan rappers, particularly those whose work focuses on political and social grievances (such as L7a9d and Gnawi), as Human Rights Defenders who warrant specific protective monitoring due to targeted governmental prosecution.
