Moroccan Hirak Protest Leader Begins Hunger Strike, Demanding Freedom

The leader of the Hirak, Nasser Zefzafi, and the number two, Najib Ahemjik, started the movement 19 days ago. Five other detainees have followed them in recent days, reports AFP.

"They are asking for their release, because they are convinced of their innocence," justifies Zefzafi’s father, who regularly publishes follow-up information on his Facebook account.

His son Nasser, the face of the social movement, is serving a 20-year prison sentence, notably for "conspiracy to undermine state security." The other hunger strikers have been serving sentences ranging from 15 to 20 years in three prisons in the Kingdom since 2018.

Most of the activists who were detained have already served their sentence or have been pardoned. The last pardon was granted by King Mohammed VI to 24 prisoners at the end of July, while 23 others are still in detention, according to the association of families of Hirak detainees.