Moroccan rapper Black Wind prosecuted for «insulting a constitutional institution»

The public prosecutor's office at the Casablanca criminal court has initiated proceedings against filmmaker and rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, widely known as Black Wind, on charges of «contempt of a constitutional institution», Yabiladi learned from an association source on Friday. During his court appearance on July 15, the trial was postponed to the 22nd of this month. The artist was initially placed in police custody on Monday evening before being held in pre-trial detention.

Mehdi Black Wind was prohibited from traveling to France at the end of last week and received a summons from the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca. He is recognized for his work, which often critiques social and political matters, and for his connections to Morocco’s Gen Z protest movement.

Freemuse, an international NGO advocating for artistic freedom and cultural diversity, condemned the filmmaker and rapper's detention yesterday, demanding «his release and the immediate dropping of the charges against him». The organization highlighted the situation as «particularly worrying» given the concurrent lawyers' strike in Morocco. «Lyoubi had to appear alone before the prosecutor», they stated.

The same source noted that at the end of June, the young artist had come to Morocco to scout locations for a documentary project. «After spending time with his family and attending the France-Morocco World Cup football match, he planned to return to France on July 10», Freemuse added. It was at the airport, during his departure, that he was informed of the actions taken against him.