Moroccan authorities apprehended rapper Mehdi Black Wind earlier this week. He is currently held in a Casablanca prison, as a prominent statement demanding his immediate freedom has been circulated.
The Moroccan public prosecutor’s office presented rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, widely recognized as “Mehdi Black Wind,” before a court on Wednesday for immediate appearance, raising questions of a politically motivated arrest. The 34-year-old artist received a travel ban notification last Friday at Rabat airport, preventing him from boarding a flight to France, where he has resided for nearly a decade.
Casablanca’s judicial police summoned him on Monday, subsequently placing him in custody. The central question remains: what led to the artist’s detention?
detention linked to critical views?
While Moroccan authorities have not yet officially disclosed the specific charges, the rapper’s arrest is widely believed to be connected to his political stance. This perspective is strongly supported by those behind the call for El Mahdi Lyoubi’s release. As a rapper and filmmaker, he has gained recognition in independent artistic circles for his sharp lyrics critiquing Moroccan society and its inherent inequalities, a factor that many suspect is the true cause of his current situation.
“Based on the information currently available, his arrest appears linked to his artistic expressions and social media posts,” states the published appeal demanding his “immediate release.”
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Over 700 cultural figures, including Moroccan filmmaker Faouzi Bensaidi and French actresses Adèle Haenel and Aïssa Maïga, collectively signed a statement on Wednesday, condemning his detention and urging his release. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) also issued a declaration on Tuesday, advocating for his freedom and demanding an end to policies that suppress critical voices.
The artist appeared before a judge at the Casablanca Court of First Instance on Wednesday. The hearing was adjourned until July 22, allowing him time to prepare his defense, especially given that lawyers in Morocco have been on strike for the past month.