A prominent Moroccan feminist activist, Ibtissam Lachgar, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison and fined $5,000 for blasphemy. The conviction, which has been met with alarm from human rights organizations, was handed down by a Moroccan court on Wednesday night.
According to her attorney, Naïma El Guellaf, the presiding judge found Lachgar guilty of violating a section of Morocco’s criminal code that prohibits offending the monarchy or Islam. The charges stemmed from a selfie Lachgar posted online while wearing a T-shirt with a slogan deemed offensive.
Defense Argues for Freedom of Expression
At the hearing, a visibly fatigued Lachgar, who wore a headscarf, told the court that she had no intention of offending Islam. She stated that the message on her T-shirt was political, designed to be a protest against sexist ideologies and violence against women.
Her defense team argued that the online post did not constitute a crime, citing Morocco’s constitutional right to freedom of expression. “God is not only for Muslims, but also for Christians and Jews. I don’t see any offense to Islam in that publication,” attorney El Guellaf told the court. The defense also pointed out that the T-shirt’s writing referred to the sexual identity of a deity and called Islam “fascist and misogynistic,” framing it as a general criticism of religion rather than a specific attack on Islam.
Human Rights Groups Condemn Verdict
The conviction has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates. Hamid Sikouk of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights called the verdict “unjust” and warned that it “threatens the freedom of speech and opinion.” Souad Brahma, another of Lachgar’s attorneys and head of the same association, expressed concern about a “backslide in human rights” within the kingdom.
Lachgar’s legal team plans to appeal the conviction.