Betty Lachgar support committee demands release for urgent medical care

The support committee for Ibtissame «Betty» Lachgar on Sunday called for the activist's release on humanitarian and medical grounds. Lachgar is currently serving a two-year prison sentence for offending the divine.

In a statement, the committee said her release was necessary to allow her to receive appropriate medical care. A survivor of a rare form of bone cancer, Lachgar underwent the implantation of a humeral prosthesis in 1995. The device has now deteriorated significantly, showing what the committee described as «complete loosening at the shoulder and elbow». A replacement surgery had been scheduled in France for September 2025, but her incarceration on August 10 prevented the procedure from taking place.

The committee is calling for the «full disclosure» of Lachgar's medical file to her defense team «to ensure transparency and continuity of care», as well as the appointment of an independent medical expert, whose findings could be challenged, under the supervision of the public prosecutor's office.

Citing what it described as a «documented medical emergency», the committee argued that her condition is incompatible with the prison environment. It also stressed that the defense has yet to receive her complete medical records and has no detailed information regarding the evolution of her condition since her incarceration.

According to the statement, Lachgar is not refusing surgery but is seeking access to the procedure initially scheduled by the surgeon who has treated her since 1995.

The committee also raised concerns about an alternative operation reportedly proposed in prison, describing it as a form of «comfort surgery» offered without documented medical justification, a clear explanation of its suitability, or guarantees regarding post-operative care.

Lachgar is seeking access to what her doctors consider the necessary treatment to preserve the use of her arm and prevent irreversible deterioration. According to the committee, the proposed «comfort surgery» could result in an amputation, whereas the original procedure was intended to reconstruct the arm and shoulder.