Urgent call for the immediate release of detained Moroccan filmmaker and rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi
- Human rights defenders
The Moroccan filmmaker and musician El Mahdi Lyoubi, held in detention since July 13, 2026, following a travel ban whose grounds remain undisclosed, has become the focal point of mounting concerns over artistic freedom and free expression in the country. International human rights organizations, alongside a coalition of cultural institutions, professional associations, journalists, academics, writers, artists, and rights advocates, are demanding his immediate release from Moroccan authorities.
July 21, 2026. Born in 1992 in Salé and based 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 major festivals, including New Directors-New Films (MoMA, New York), Sheffield DocFest, Kerala Festival, Escales Documentaires, the Franco-Arab Film Festival in Noisy-le-Sec, the Tarifa African Film Festival, and the Thessaloniki Festival. He is currently developing his first feature-length documentary, a project supported in 2025 by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC). Beyond filmmaking, Lyoubi is also known in Morocco’s music scene as Mehdi Black Wind, creating works since the early 2010s that address social justice and freedom of expression. In September 2025, he performed at the L’Boulevard festival in Casablanca to an audience of over 50,000 people.
On July 10, 2026, as he prepared to return to Marseille after a family visit and location scouting for his upcoming documentary, El Mahdi Lyoubi was informed at Rabat-Salé Airport’s departure lounge of an undisclosed travel ban preventing him from boarding his flight to France. Denied boarding, he was escorted to the Salé police station, where officers were unable to clarify the reasons behind the decision and instead issued him a summons to appear before the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Subjected to a full day of questioning, he was placed under police custody that evening. His relatives were informed late and informally that his arrest might be tied to social media posts, though no further details were provided. He was scheduled to appear before the prosecutor on Wednesday, July 15.
Brought before the prosecutor and later a judge, El Mahdi Lyoubi was remanded in custody at the Oukacha prison pending his hearing, originally set for July 22. This legal process unfolds amid a widespread lawyers’ strike in Morocco, preventing his legal representatives from meeting with him or accessing his case file. His family has also been denied visitation rights.
An alarming crackdown on artistic expression
The detention of El Mahdi Lyoubi is not an isolated incident. Since late 2025, several artists in Morocco have faced prosecution or convictions tied to the content of their works or online publications. Rapper Jawad Asradi, known as Pause Flow, was arrested in November 2025 and placed in provisional detention over lyrics in several of his songs before being handed a three-month suspended prison sentence in June 2026 for insulting a constituted body. Rapper Hamza Raid was arrested in Casablanca and sentenced to six months in prison with a suspended sentence. In March 2026, 20-year-old rapper Souhaib Qabli received an eight-month prison term for insulting a constitutional institution and spreading false information. In February 2026, film distributor Zineb Kharroubi was handed a six-month suspended sentence for inciting crimes or offenses through electronic means.
While distinct in their circumstances, these cases collectively highlight a troubling trend: the growing criminalization of artistic expression. Yet Article 25 of Morocco’s Constitution explicitly guarantees freedoms of thought, opinion, and expression in all forms. This constitutional safeguard, alongside the country’s international commitments, underpins the urgency of this call for justice.
This wave of repression coincides with the GenZ 212 protest movement, which emerged in late 2025. Coordinated largely online, the movement’s demands centered on access to healthcare and education, combating corruption, and upholding freedom of expression.
Convinced that artistic freedom and free expression are cornerstones of cultural vitality and democratic progress, the signatories of this appeal urge Moroccan authorities to:
- Ensure that El Mahdi Lyoubi enjoys all procedural rights guaranteed by Morocco’s Constitution, national laws, and international obligations, including full access to legal counsel;
- Reassess without delay any restrictions on his freedom or movement to verify their legal basis, legitimacy, and compliance with principles of necessity and proportionality;
- Uphold his right to a fair trial and ensure that his case aligns with Morocco’s constitutional and international human rights obligations;
- Strengthen the conditions enabling artists, creators, and cultural actors to work freely and engage in public debate while respecting pluralism and diversity in artistic expression;
- Release El Mahdi Lyoubi immediately and unconditionally.
We remain vigilant regarding the evolution of this case and stand ready for constructive dialogue with the competent authorities.