Morocco: veteran journalist ali lmrabet detained amid free speech concerns
- RSF
Franco-Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet was detained at Tangier airport upon arrival on July 12, then transferred to Casablanca where he was held for questioning in connection with allegations of ‘disseminating false information.’ Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is urging Moroccan authorities to release him without delay.
Arriving from Spain for personal administrative matters, Ali Lmrabet was apprehended at Tangier airport on Sunday, July 12, and transported to Casablanca for interrogation by the National Judicial Police Brigade. According to the prosecutor, multiple warrants were issued against him for allegedly defamatory digital publications targeting individuals and institutions. Held in custody, he now faces charges of ‘allegedly spreading false information that undermines constitutional institutions.’
‘The detention of Ali Lmrabet is deeply troubling and underscores yet again the misuse of judicial proceedings to silence critical voices. We demand his immediate release. Lmrabet has dedicated his career to journalism and the right to information—values Morocco has publicly pledged to uphold. Criminalizing a journalist’s work is not justice in action; it is justice weaponized for repression.’
A pioneer of free press
A prominent figure in Morocco’s independent journalism scene, Lmrabet founded the weekly publications Demain Magazine and Doumane. In 2003, he was imprisoned for ‘insulting the king’ after publishing critical content about the government. Sentenced to four years in prison, he was later pardoned by the king in 2004.
Though banned from practising journalism in Morocco following a 2005 defamation conviction, he continued his work from France—where he holds citizenship—and Spain, where he has lived for years. His reporting focuses on sensitive political and security issues in Morocco, including collaborations with Spanish outlets El Mundo and El País. Internationally recognized, he was named one of RSF’s ‘100 Information Heroes’ in 2014 for his unwavering commitment to press freedom. He also shares analyses on current affairs through his YouTube channel.
Authorities have attempted to pursue Lmrabet in Spanish and French courts since 2008, but both jurisdictions have consistently dismissed these cases. Over the past two decades, he has visited Morocco for family reasons without incident, his wife Laura Feliu confirmed.
Morocco ranks 105th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2026 World Press Freedom Index.