Morocco: Skyline Condemns the Sentencing of Activist Hassan Daoudi and Demands His Immediate Release

Skyline International for Human Rights (SIHR) strongly condemns the ruling issued by the Court of First Instance in Temara, Morocco, sentencing human rights activist Hassan Daoudi to five months in prison. The conviction, handed down on Monday April 7, is based on charges of "inciting the public to commit misdemeanors and felonies" for publishing posts on Facebook calling for peaceful protests against the rising cost of living in Morocco.

SIHR considers this verdict a dangerous escalation in the Moroccan authorities' ongoing campaign to silence anyone who dares speak up about the worsening social and economic conditions in the country. Punishing a citizen for calling on people to peacefully take to the streets is not law enforcement. It is the weaponization of the justice system to crush legitimate dissent and discourage others from raising their voices. The Moroccan authorities are effectively telling their citizens that voicing frustration over bread-and-butter issues, the price of food, the cost of housing, and the struggle to make ends meet can land them behind bars.

The charges brought against Daoudi lack any credible legal basis. His social media posts contained no call to violence, no threat to public order, and no element that would justify criminal prosecution under any fair reading of the law. SIHR recalls that Article 25 of the Moroccan Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, opinion, and expression in all its forms, while Article 29 protects the freedoms of assembly and peaceful demonstration. The sentencing of Daoudi strips these constitutional guarantees of any meaning and sends a chilling message to every Moroccan who might consider speaking publicly about the daily hardships they face. It tells them plainly that the state will treat their words as crimes.

The ruling against Daoudi stands in clear violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to hold opinions and to seek, receive, and share information and ideas through any medium. It also violates Article 21 of the same Covenant, which protects the right of peaceful assembly. Articles 9 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights offer similar protections. Morocco, as a state party to these instruments, is bound by these obligations and cannot use its criminal justice system to punish the exercise of fundamental freedoms.

SIHR further points out that this case is not an isolated incident but rather fits into a well-documented pattern of Moroccan authorities targeting activists, bloggers, journalists, and human rights defenders through prosecution and imprisonment. The cases of Saida El-Alami, Fouad Abdelmoumni, Ridha Ben Othman, and many others reflect a systematic approach to silencing critical voices under the cover of criminal law.

In light of the above, Skyline International for Human Rights calls on the Moroccan authorities to:

• Release Hassan Daoudi immediately and unconditionally and drop all charges related to his peaceful expression.
• Stop using vague and overbroad criminal charges to prosecute activists and citizens for exercising their right to free speech and peaceful assembly, particularly those advocating for economic and social rights.
• Bring national legislation, especially penal provisions related to expression and assembly, into full compliance with Morocco's obligations under the ICCPR and the African Charter.
• Guarantee a safe and open environment for human rights defenders to carry out their legitimate work without fear of retaliation, prosecution, or intimidation.

SIHR reaffirms that the right to protest and the right to speak freely about economic and social grievances are not privileges granted by the state. They are fundamental rights that belong to every person. No government should treat a citizen's cry for affordable living as a criminal act.