Bail Denied for feminist activist Ibtissame Lachgar facing blasphemy charges

Thursday 28 August 2025 - 09:45

By: Sahili Aya

Bail Denied for feminist activist Ibtissame Lachgar facing blasphemy charges

A Moroccan court on Wednesday denied bail to feminist activist Ibtissame Lachgar, who is facing charges of “insulting Islam,” despite her defense citing her “serious” health condition, her lawyers said.

The 50-year-old activist, known for advocating individual freedoms, is prosecuted after posting a photo on social media deemed “offensive to God.”

Appearing for the first time before the Rabat First Instance Court, Lachgar appeared weakened, wearing a brace on her left arm, and exchanged brief smiles with supporters.

“She is being treated for cancer and is expected to undergo a critical operation on her left arm in September,” said lawyer Naima El Guellaf, warning that amputation may be required if surgery is delayed. Her co-lawyer Mohamed Khattab added, “Her health condition is serious.”

Despite providing a medical file, the public prosecutor requested that the bail request be denied, which the judge accepted. The trial is scheduled to continue on September 3.

The activist, a clinical psychologist, had posted a photo in late July wearing a t-shirt with the word “Allah” followed by the phrase “is lesbian,” along with a text describing Islam as “fascist, phallocratic and misogynist,” sparking strong social media reactions, including calls for her arrest and death threats.

Incarcerated since August 12 at El Arjat prison near Rabat, Lachgar is in isolation and prohibited from speaking with other inmates.

Under Article 267-5 of the Moroccan Penal Code, she faces six months to two years in prison for “insulting Islam,” with a possible increase to five years if the offense is committed publicly or online. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) condemned her detention, calling it a “violation of freedom of expression and opinion.”