A student sentenced for posting a rap song’s lyrics to have his appeal hearing on January 20

Moroccan teenager Ayoub Mahfoud, sentenced in December to three years in prison and fined 5 000 dirhams for a Facebook post about a rap song, to stand trial again at the Meknes Appeal court.

His lawyer Hasnaa Alaoui told TelQuel that his appeal hearing has been scheduled for January 20. During his trial, the young man will be supported by the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), which will hire its lawyers to defend the high schooler.

Arrested in December, the 18-year-old student was accused of «contempt of the King» and «to public officials». He is charged based on Articles 179, 263 and 265 from the Moroccan penal code, the same source said.

Mahfoud was arrested after he posted to his Facebook account the lyrics of rap song «3ach Cha3b» (Live long the people) by Weld L’Griya, Lz3er and Gnaoui. The latter was also sentenced to one year in prison in November 2019.