Moroccan Rapper Sentenced to 4 Years for Song Criticizing Kingdom’s Symbols

Hamza alias Staline, a young rapper from El Marsa, near Laayoune, was sentenced to four years in prison on January 1, 2020, reports Febrayer. The police had arrested him after the publication of his song "We Understood" two months ago.

With this latest conviction, the number of rappers, activists, or even ordinary citizens convicted for attacking the sanctities of the kingdom rises to about six.

On December 19, 2019, the conviction of a young high school student to three years in prison for posting on social media a publication featuring the controversial song "3acha cha3b" by rapper Gnawi, who himself was sentenced to prison, had prompted a reaction from the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH).

In a statement to H24info, Aziz Ghali, its president, had denounced "a very heavy sentence for a simple photo posted on social media", raising "the affront to the digital rights of Moroccan citizens".