A Moroccan court on Thursday sentenced rapper Souhaib Qabli, known by the stage name L7assal, to eight months in prison for insulting a “constitutional body,” according to his attorney. The case, reported in the context of Morocco’s broader scrutiny of dissent, drew supporters outside the courthouse in Taza before the ruling, while Qabli’s lawyer said the verdict can be appealed.
The charges were tied to material from Qabli’s music and social media, with prosecutors focusing on allegations that he insulted a constitutional institution rather than on any public official by name, his attorney told The Associated Press. Qabli was also fined $106, Taifi said, and he was in custody from his arrest earlier this month until the court delivered the sentence.
Taifi said the ruling’s wording left room for confusion about what institution the judge meant. “The court did not clarify what it meant by a constitutional body. No specific party was identified in the case file, and there are many constitutional institutions,” he said. Taifi also said Qabli was cleared of other charges that included insulting public officials and disseminating false allegations.
Qabli is a member of Al Adl Wal Ihsane, an Islamist association that is banned but tolerated, according to the report. Prosecutors and the court examined questions about his songs and posts during the proceedings, and Qabli told the court he had no intent to insult any constitutional body, presenting his work as expression through rap, the AP said.
The rapper’s lyrics sharply criticize Morocco’s 2020 decision to normalize ties with Israel in an agreement brokered during the first Trump administration, the AP reported. One song cited in the reporting is titled “No to the Normalization,” linking the normalization decision to Washington’s recognition of Morocco’s claim to the disputed Western Sahara territory.
Rights groups and pro-Palestinian supporters in Morocco have previously challenged the normalization accord, and the reporting said large protests followed the decision in multiple cities. While authorities allowed rallies, they have also arrested activists who criticized the move, according to the AP, framing Qabli’s case as part of those broader pressures on public speech.
Before the verdict, dozens of supporters gathered outside the court in Taza, a city in north-central Morocco about 162 miles (261 kilometers) from Rabat, holding banners calling for Qabli’s release. The AP reported that rights groups in the kingdom have described the case as a political measure aimed at curbing freedoms.
Morocco’s constitution generally guarantees freedom of expression, and the country is often described as relatively moderate compared with other places in the Middle East, but the report said certain types of speech can still trigger criminal charges. The AP said Morocco has seen restrictions on dissent tightening in recent years, including actions affecting journalists and activists.