Moroccan Teacher’s 3-Month Sentence Upheld for ’Insulting Authorities’ During Protest

Nezha Majdi was the only one to be sentenced to a prison term. The 19 other contract teachers, also prosecuted, were sentenced to a two-month suspended prison sentence for "violation of the state of health emergency" and "insulting the security forces."

The first instance trial of these teachers took place in April 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 health crisis, after the arrest of more than forty people during a large demonstration in Rabat against the difficult working conditions of contract teachers in the kingdom for more than four years.

In a statement to the press after her release, Majdi had stated that she had been the victim of sexual assault by the police during the 48 hours of custody spent in five different police stations.

"The intention of the State is to repress our struggle and prevent other teachers from defending their rights. We strongly condemn these mock trials," said a spokesperson for the Moroccan Coordination of Contract Teachers, announcing a series of demonstrations across the country in reaction to these convictions.