Marrakech: Five-year prison sentence for secretly filming Airbnb tourists

Saturday 16 August 2025 - 10:15

The Court of First Instance in Marrakech sentenced a man to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dirhams for secretly recording foreign tourists in a villa rented through Airbnb.

The case began on June 28, when tourists from the United States and Switzerland filed a complaint after discovering hidden cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms of a luxury villa located in Tameslohte, near Marrakech.

Following their report, police arrested the villa’s owner, a wealthy Moroccan-French businessman who had lived in Europe before investing in Morocco’s tourism sector. Investigations revealed that he had personally installed the surveillance devices to record his guests without their knowledge, allegedly using the property to produce illicit videos. The villa was listed for up to 30,000 dirhams per night.

During a search, authorities seized hard drives, phones, and other electronic equipment suspected of containing recordings of previous tenants. These materials are now under technical analysis to determine the extent of the violations and identify other potential victims.

The defendant faced charges including violation of privacy, illegal surveillance, and breach of trust toward online rental platform users.