Rif Protest Leader’s Father Pleads for Royal Pardon from King Mohammed VI

In a live video broadcast on Facebook, Ahmed Zefzafi called on King Mohammed VI to intervene urgently to release his son and the other detainees, who have served a good part of their sentence.

"I appeal to the Head of State to release the 24 detainees of the Hirak. They have endured enough suffering so far," affirmed Nasser’s father, who had just been banned from speaking to his son on the phone.

"Is the Director General of Prison Administrations aware of this incident?" he launched, before Nasser’s mother took over, addressing the authorities:

"We love our country, and we have never mentioned secession. It is you who are seeking secession and who have wrongly accused us. We are at home and we have nowhere else to go. Our children have claimed their rights and not secession."