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Casablanca court sentences activist Saida El Alami to three years in prison
The Court of First Instance in Casablanca has sentenced Moroccan blogger and human rights activist Saida El Alami to three years in prison and fined her MAD 20,000 ($2,000). The verdict, handed down on Tuesday, follows charges of “insulting a legally constituted organization,” “spreading false allegations,” and “contempt of justice.” Her defense team has announced plans to appeal the ruling.
A history of legal battles
El Alami, a prominent critic of politically motivated detentions and a member of the collective Femmes Marocaines Contre la Détention Politique, has faced multiple legal challenges over her activism. Her arrest on July 1, 2025, in Casablanca, led to her detention, ordered by the public prosecutor, two days later.
This latest case comes less than a year after she was granted a royal pardon on July 29, 2024, for a similar case involving accusations of contempt and the dissemination of false information.
Her legal troubles started in March 2022, when she was summoned by the National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ) and detained for 48 hours. During her initial detention, El Alami was denied access to legal counsel for ten days and later transferred to the Ain Sebaa Court of First Instance in Casablanca.
Social media activism under scrutiny
The charges against El Alami have largely stemmed from her social media posts. In a Facebook post dated March 22, 2022, she accused Morocco’s security agencies, including the Director-General of National Security (DGSN) and the Director of the Surveillance Directorate (DGST), of questioning her neighbors in her absence. Earlier that year, in January, she criticized corruption within the judiciary.
Prosecutors charged her under articles 263, 265, 266, and 477-2 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which address insults to public officials, contempt of judicial decisions, and the dissemination of false allegations. Requests for her release pending trial were rejected without explanation, according to her legal team.
Broader implications for freedom of expression
El Alami’s conviction is expected to reignite debates in Morocco over freedom of expression, the boundaries of digital activism, and the legal frameworks regulating criticism of public institutions. Activists and human rights organizations have frequently highlighted her case as emblematic of the challenges facing dissenting voices in the country.
Her sentencing underscores ongoing tensions between state institutions and activists who use digital platforms to challenge official narratives and advocate for political reform.
