The detention of Moroccan filmmaker and musician El Mahdi Lyoubi since July 13, 2026, following an unexplained travel ban, has sparked widespread concern over artistic freedom and free speech in Morocco. Alongside global human rights organizations and a coalition of cultural institutions, artists, academics, and activists, we urgently call for his immediate release.
July 21, 2026. Born in Salé in 1992 and based in Marseille since 2017, El Mahdi Lyoubi trained at France’s prestigious film school La Fémis and has since built an international reputation as a filmmaker. His acclaimed documentary short Marseille, 14 juillet has screened at premier festivals worldwide, including New Directors-New Films (MoMA, New York), Sheffield DocFest, and the Kerala International Film Festival. Currently developing his first feature documentary—a project supported by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) in 2025—he is also recognized in Morocco’s music scene as Mehdi Black Wind, crafting socially conscious rap that challenges systemic injustice. In September 2025, he performed before a crowd of over 50,000 at the L’Boulevard festival in Casablanca.
On July 10, 2026, as he prepared to return to Marseille after a family visit and research for his documentary, Lyoubi was stopped at Rabat-Salé Airport. Despite holding a valid boarding pass, authorities issued an unexplained travel ban preventing him from boarding his flight to France. He was escorted to a police station in Salé, where officials could not clarify the decision and merely handed him a summons to appear before the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca on July 13.
Following a full day of questioning, he was placed in police custody that evening. His relatives were only informed late—and informally—that his arrest might relate to social media posts, though no charges were specified. By July 15, he was brought before a prosecutor and then a judge, resulting in pretrial detention at Oukacha prison pending a hearing scheduled for July 22. This process unfolds amid a nationwide lawyers’ strike, effectively barring his legal team from accessing the case file or communicating with him. Family visits have also been denied.
a troubling crackdown on artistic expression
The case of El Mahdi Lyoubi is not isolated. Since late 2025, Morocco has intensified legal pressure on artists whose work challenges authority. In November 2025, rapper Jawad Asradi (Pause Flow) was arrested and held in pretrial detention over lyrics in his songs before receiving a suspended three-month sentence in June 2026 for insulting state institutions. Similarly, rapper Hamza Raid was arrested in Casablanca and handed a six-month suspended sentence. In March 2026, rapper Souhaib Qabli, aged 20, was sentenced to eight months in prison for insulting a constitutional body and spreading false information. Earlier in February 2026, film distributor Zineb Kharroubi was handed a six-month suspended sentence for online incitement to commit crimes.
These cases reveal a disturbing pattern: the increasing criminalization of creative dissent. Yet Article 25 of Morocco’s Constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of thought, opinion, and expression in all forms. We urge authorities to uphold these constitutional guarantees and international commitments by taking immediate action.
This clampdown coincides with the GenZ 212 protest movement, largely organized online, which demands access to healthcare and education, an end to corruption, and expanded freedom of expression. We firmly believe that artistic freedom and free speech are the lifeblood of democratic societies and cultural vitality.
We therefore call on Moroccan authorities to:
- Ensure that El Mahdi Lyoubi receives all procedural rights guaranteed by Moroccan law and international obligations, including full access to defense counsel;
- Review immediately any restriction on his liberty or movement to ensure it is legally grounded, necessary, and proportionate;
- Guarantee his right to a fair trial in full compliance with constitutional and international human rights standards;
- Strengthen protections for artists, creators, and cultural workers to operate freely and engage in public debate without fear of reprisal;
- Release El Mahdi Lyoubi without delay or conditions.
We remain vigilant regarding this case and stand ready to engage constructively with the relevant authorities.
