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In its annual report on the state of human rights, Amnesty International said Moroccan authorities have intensified their crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful dissent. The report noted that journalists, human rights defenders, and critics of government policies faced prosecutions, intimidation, and digital surveillance, despite royal pardons granted to some prisoners of conscience in recent years.
The country also witnessed widespread protests over economic conditions and declining public services, which, according to Amnesty, were met with excessive force, arbitrary arrests, and trials the organization described as unfair.
The report highlighted the continued use of «vague» legal provisions to restrict freedom of expression, including laws criminalizing blasphemy, defamation, and insults against public institutions. It cited several cases, including that of activist Said Ait Mahdi, whose sentence was increased on appeal after he criticized the handling of the aftermath of the Al Haouz earthquake. It also referred to activist Fouad Abdelmoumni, sentenced in absentia over a Facebook post, and human rights defender Saida Alami, who received a three-year prison sentence linked to her online activism.
According to Amnesty, the prosecutions also targeted foreign activists and journalists who were deported from Laayoune, as well as individuals arrested for expressing pro-Palestinian views. The report further mentioned the conviction of a feminist activist over a post deemed offensive to religion, and the prosecution of a woman with mental health disorders who was sentenced to prison despite calls for medical care.
Protests and security response
On freedom of assembly, the organization reported a rise in protests, notably those organized by the «GenZ 212» movement in September, calling for anti-corruption measures and improved public services.
Amnesty stated that security forces intervened to disperse these demonstrations using force, including lethal means, resulting in three deaths and dozens of injuries. Around 2,480 people were arrested, with at least 1,473 facing legal proceedings and pre-trial detention.
The report also addressed the adoption of Organic Law No. 97-15 on strikes, which came into force in September. While it provides a long-awaited legal framework, Amnesty argued that certain provisions, particularly notice requirements and criminal penalties, significantly restrict the exercise of the right to strike, especially through the ban on strikes with «political objectives».
On the justice front, the organization noted the adoption of a draft reform of the Criminal Procedure Code, which includes measures aimed at strengthening fair trial guarantees, such as expanding alternatives to pre-trial detention and ensuring access to legal counsel from the outset of detention. However, it stressed that these positive steps have not prevented the continued prosecution of journalists and activists, nor the issuance of convictions against them.
