Urgent call for moroccan filmmaker and rapper el mahdi lyoubi’s immediate release

July 21, 2026. Born in 1992 in Salé and settled in Marseille since 2017, El Mahdi Lyoubi trained at La Fémis and has built an internationally recognized career as a filmmaker. His documentary short film “Marseille, 14 juillet” has been featured in prestigious festivals including New Directors-New Films (MoMA, New York), Sheffield DocFest, Kerala Festival, Escales Documentaires, the Franco-Arab Film Festival of Noisy-le-Sec, the Tarifa African Film Festival, and the Thessaloniki Film Festival. He is currently working on his first documentary feature film, a project selected in 2025 by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC). Also active in Morocco’s music scene under the name Mehdi Black Wind, he has spent over a decade creating works that address social justice and freedom of expression. In September 2025, he performed at the L’Boulevard Festival in Casablanca in front of more than 50,000 attendees.

On July 10, 2026, as he prepared to return to Marseille after a family visit and research for his upcoming documentary, El Mahdi Lyoubi was informed at Rabat-Salé Airport’s departure lounge that he was barred from leaving the country, though no reasons were provided.

Prevented from boarding his flight to France, he was escorted to the Salé police station, where officers were unable to clarify the decision and issued him a summons to appear before the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca the following Monday, July 13, 2026.

After a full day of questioning, he was placed in police custody that evening. His family was only informed late and informally that his arrest might be linked to social media posts, though no further details were given. He was due to appear before the prosecutor on Wednesday, July 15.

Brought before the prosecutor and then a judge, El Mahdi Lyoubi was remanded in custody at the Oukacha prison, pending a hearing scheduled for July 22. This process unfolds amid a nationwide lawyers’ strike, preventing him from accessing legal representation. To date, his lawyers have been unable to meet with him or review his case file. His family has also been denied visitation rights.

A troubling crackdown on artistic expression

El Mahdi Lyoubi’s case is not an isolated incident. Since fall 2025, several artists in Morocco have faced prosecution or convictions due to the content of their work or online activity. Rapper Jawad Asradi, known as Pause Flow, was arrested in November 2025 and placed in provisional detention for lyrics in several of his songs before being sentenced in June 2026 to three months of suspended prison time for insulting a constituted body. Rapper Hamza Raid was detained in Casablanca and handed a six-month suspended sentence. In March 2026, 20-year-old rapper Souhaib Qabli was sentenced to eight months in prison for insulting a constitutional institution and spreading false news. In February 2026, film distributor Zineb Kharroubi received a six-month suspended sentence for inciting crimes or offenses through electronic means.

While these cases differ in their specifics, they collectively signal an alarming trend: the growing criminalization of artistic expression. Yet Article 25 of Morocco’s Constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of thought, opinion, and expression in all its forms. It is on these constitutional and international commitments that we base our profound concern.

These developments coincide with the GenZ 212 protest movement, which has gained momentum since fall 2025. Organized largely online, the movement has championed demands for improved access to healthcare and education, anti-corruption measures, and freedom of expression.

Convinced that artistic freedom and free expression are pillars of cultural vitality and democratic societies, the signatories of this open letter urge Moroccan authorities to:

• Ensure El Mahdi Lyoubi enjoys all procedural rights guaranteed by the Moroccan Constitution, national legislation, and international commitments, particularly the full exercise of his right to defense;
• Immediately review any restrictions on his liberty or travel to ensure they are legally justified, serve a legitimate purpose, and comply with principles of necessity and proportionality;
• Ensure his case is handled in full accordance with fair trial guarantees and Morocco’s constitutional and international obligations regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• Strengthen conditions for artists, creators, and cultural actors to freely pursue their work and engage in public debate in an environment that respects freedoms, pluralism, and the diversity of artistic and cultural expressions;
• Release El Mahdi Lyoubi immediately and unconditionally.

We remain vigilant regarding this case and stand ready to engage in constructive dialogue with the relevant authorities.