A Moroccan rapper arrested by the police, what he is accused of

The 23-year-old rapper was referred to trial by the Moroccan prosecutor’s office on Wednesday. Belonging to the opposition current Justice and Charity, Souhaib Qabli had voluntarily reported to a police summons last Monday before being detained.

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According to his lawyer Mohamed Taifi, quoted by EFE, the justice system attributes to him the "insult of public officials in the exercise of their functions", contempt of a constitutional body and the dissemination of "false facts". The prosecutions target videos published on his YouTube channel.

The accusations are based on the titles "We want to know", denouncing repression, and "No to normalization". The latter track attacks the rapprochement between Morocco and Israel, a subject contested by Islamist currents since the 2020 tripartite agreement.

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A student in Taza, the artist began his career in 2021. His trial comes as the ties between Rabat and Tel Aviv have been strengthened after the United States’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara.