Moroccan Rapper Gnawi Faces Verdict in Free Speech Case

This is a case of "contempt" of officials in which Gnawi risks a lot, due to a video in which he attacks the police. If the performer of the song, "3acha cha3b" ("Long live the people"), is found guilty, he could face a sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine of 5,000 Moroccan dirhams.

His arrest has prompted reactions from human rights associations and organizations around the world, who denounce "a deprivation of freedom of expression".

This is the case of Heba Morayef, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Amnesty International, who believes that the artist is suffering the rigors of the law for his critical opinions against the police and the Moroccan authorities, leading her to demand his release and the dropping of the charges against him.

In her denunciation of the legal proceedings, she believes that Gnawi has the right to freely express personal opinions. "Even if they are insulting or shocking, the rapper is protected by international human rights law. No one should be punished for freely expressing personal opinions," she argues.