Spanish-Moroccan Activist Faces Retrial After Exposing Housing Discrimination in Spain
After exposing housing discrimination in Spain, Hamid Hmata, a Spaniard born in Morocco, faces a possible €900 fine. Acquitted the first time, the father of three must return to court on October 26, sued by an agency he accuses of racism.
“The victim becomes the perpetrator.” Hamid Hmata, 50, is struggling to understand this reversal. After reporting several Catalan real estate agencies for racial discrimination, the Spaniard, who was born in Tangier, is himself facing prosecution over alleged coercion. An agency accuses him of demanding money under threat of filing a complaint. Acquitted the first time, he will face a retrial on October 26, reports El País.
On Bladi.net : Rental Discrimination in Spain: Moroccans Expose Agencies and Win Fines
The case began in Mataró, near Barcelona. Hamid was looking for a bigger apartment for his wife and their three children. Despite earning a comfortable income from his international trade business, he was repeatedly turned down by real estate agencies.
He decided to conduct an experiment with two Spanish colleagues, Jordi and Xavier. All three contacted the same agencies about the same properties. When Hamid was rejected, his colleagues were offered viewings. He kept the messages, recorded some conversations and filed several complaints.
The first 12 complaints were eventually time-barred because of administrative complications. Three other cases reached the Catalan body responsible for combating discrimination. In February 2026, one agency was fined €10,001. Two others faced proposed fines of around €10,000 each.
Acquitted, then sent back to court before a different judge
But in September 2025, Hamid had contacted another agency to demand financial compensation, offering to drop his complaint in return. The company recorded the call and contacted the Catalan police. It accused him of pressuring it to obtain money and sought a €900 fine.
At Mataró court, a sales representative said he had felt intimidated. The judge, however, ruled that the alleged pressure was not enough to constitute a criminal offense. Hamid was acquitted.
The agency appealed. In February 2026, the Barcelona Provincial Court overturned the acquittal and ordered a new trial before a different judge. The court criticized, in particular, Hamid’s request for financial compensation.
His lawyer, Miguel Ruiz of Observatori DESCA, disputes the decision. He believes the justice system is penalizing the way his client tried to respond to alleged discrimination. He has requested that the ruling be annulled.
The case highlights the difficulties Moroccans face when renting a home in Spain, even when they have sufficient income. Hamid had already made his discrimination allegations public in February, after the first administrative penalty.
On October 26, he will appear in court in Mataró once again. The agency maintains its accusations, while his lawyer challenges the proceedings. The company suing him is not the one fined €10,001. “I’m facing this very calmly. I know justice will be done,” Hamid tells El País.
