July 21, 2026. Born in Salé in 1992 and based in Marseille since 2017, El Mahdi Lyoubi trained at La Fémis and has built an internationally recognized career as a director. His documentary short film Marseille, 14 juillet has been featured in prestigious festivals worldwide, including New Directors-New Films (MoMA, New York), Sheffield DocFest, the Kerala International Film Festival, Escales Documentaires, the Franco-Arab Film Festival in Noisy-le-Sec, the Tarifa African Film Festival, and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. He is currently developing his first feature-length documentary, a project supported in 2025 by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC). Lyoubi is also a prominent figure in Morocco’s music scene under the alias Mehdi Black Wind, with a body of work spanning over a decade that addresses social justice and freedom of expression. In September 2025, he performed to an audience of more than 50,000 at the L’Boulevard festival in Casablanca.

On July 10, 2026, as he prepared to return to Marseille following a family visit and research for his upcoming documentary, El Mahdi Lyoubi was informed at Rabat-Salé Airport that he was barred from leaving the country—without any explanation provided.

Prevented from boarding his flight to France, he was escorted to the Salé police station, where officers could not clarify the decision and issued him a summons to appear before the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca on Monday, July 13, 2026.

After a full day of questioning, he was placed in custody that evening. His relatives were informed late and informally that his arrest might be linked to social media posts, though no specifics were given. He was scheduled to appear before the prosecutor on Wednesday, July 15.

Following his hearing and presentation to a judge, El Mahdi Lyoubi was remanded in custody at Oukacha prison pending his next court date, set for July 22. This process unfolds amid a nationwide lawyers’ strike that has prevented him from accessing legal counsel. To this day, his lawyers have not been able to meet with him or review his case file. His family has also been denied visitation rights.

A disturbing pattern targeting artistic expression

The detention of El Mahdi Lyoubi is not an isolated incident. Since late 2025, Morocco has witnessed a surge in prosecutions and convictions of artists over the content of their works or online posts. Rapper Jawad Asradi, known as Pause Flow, was arrested in November 2025 and held in pretrial detention for lyrics in several of his songs before being handed a three-month suspended sentence for insulting a constituted body—a verdict upheld on appeal in June 2026.

Rapper Hamza Raid was arrested in Casablanca and sentenced to six months in prison with a suspended sentence. In March 2026, 20-year-old rapper Souhaib Qabli received an eight-month prison term for insulting a constitutional institution and spreading false news. In February 2026, film distributor Zineb Kharroubi was sentenced to six months in prison with a suspended sentence for inciting crimes or offenses via electronic means.

While each case differs in its details, they collectively paint a troubling picture: the growing criminalization of artistic expression. Yet Article 25 of Morocco’s Constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of thought, opinion, and expression in all its forms. It is on this constitutional foundation, along with the Kingdom’s international commitments, that we voice our deep concern.

These developments occur against the backdrop of the GenZ 212 protest movement, which gained momentum in late 2025. Organized largely online, the movement’s demands centered on access to healthcare and education, combating corruption, and upholding freedom of expression.

Convinced that artistic and expressive freedom is vital to cultural vibrancy and democratic life, the signatories of this letter urge Moroccan authorities to:

• – Ensure that El Mahdi Lyoubi enjoys all procedural rights guaranteed by the Moroccan Constitution, national law, and international obligations, including full access to legal defense;
• – Promptly review any restrictions on his freedom or movement to confirm they are grounded in clear legal justification, serve a legitimate purpose, and comply with principles of necessity and proportionality;
• – Ensure his case is handled in full accordance with fair trial guarantees and Morocco’s constitutional and international human rights obligations;
• – Strengthen conditions for artists, creators, and cultural actors to work freely and engage in public discourse within a framework that respects liberty, pluralism, and diversity in artistic and cultural expression;
• – Release El Mahdi Lyoubi immediately and unconditionally.

We will continue to monitor this case closely and remain open to constructive dialogue with the relevant authorities.