A Moroccan activist, Abdul Rahman Zankad, was sentenced to five years in prison for criticising Morocco’s normalisation of relations with Israel. Arrested in March for his Facebook posts about Israel’s Gaza conflict and Morocco’s diplomatic ties with Israel, Zankad faced charges of insulting a constitutional institution and incitement.
The court verdict also imposed a fine of 50,000 Moroccan dirhams ($5,000). Civil liberty advocates condemned the trial’s fairness, citing baseless charges.
Massive pro-Palestinian protests have engulfed Morocco, with demonstrators demanding the reversal of normalisation and denouncing Israel and its allies.
Morocco’s ties with Israel were established in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, amid recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara by the U.S. and Israel.
Melissa Enoch
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