Morocco: the "Free Palestine" jersey leads to prison

The two young men were sentenced to two and four months of actual imprisonment respectively, while the owner of the printing press was sentenced to one month in prison. They were prosecuted while in custody, notably for "wearing inciteful slogans".

The facts date back to October 6th. The two students had been arrested on Mohammed V Avenue in Rabat during a gathering of the "Gen Z 212" movement. They were wearing Moroccan national team jerseys on which they had printed the slogans: "Free Palestine" and "Education and health are a right for all". The investigation had quickly led to the arrest of the owner of the printing press.

A verdict in a context of strong social unrest

This legal case is part of a climate of tension in Morocco. A social protest movement, led by the "Gen Z 212" collective, began on September 27th after the death of eight pregnant women at the public hospital in Agadir, due to lack of appropriate care.

These demonstrations, demanding social rights, have been marked by violent clashes. The unrest, the most significant since that of the Rif in 2016, has resulted in 3 deaths and 400 injuries across the country, and has given rise to scenes of looting and arson of public and private property.