Morocco Arrests Dissident Journalist Ali Lmrabet
Rights groups say the veteran critic faces allegations of false information and defamation after Moroccan authorities arrested him at Tangier airport.
- On Sunday, July 12, Moroccan police arrested dissident commentator Ali Lmrabet at Tangier airport upon his arrival from Spain. Authorities transferred him to Casablanca for questioning by the National Brigade regarding multiple arrest warrants before ordering his pretrial detention.
- Lmrabet faces a preliminary investigation over complaints alleging slander and defamation, according to an informed source. Authorities are also probing his alleged "dissemination of false information harming constitutional institutions," Reporters Without Borders reported.
- With over 200 thousand followers on Facebook and YouTube combined, the commentator has faced decades of judicial harassment. In 2003, he was jailed for offending the king; a 2005 court order subsequently banned him from practicing journalism in Morocco for 10 years.
- CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah demanded Lmrabet's immediate release on Tuesday, calling the detention part of long-standing harassment. His wife, Laura Feliu, told CPJ that Lmrabet remains "firmly convinced of the integrity of his convictions and of his journalistic work."
- Although Lmrabet has lived in Spain since 2015, he views his detention as "hostage-taking." Moroccan judicial authorities and the French embassy in Rabat did not immediately respond to requests for comment, leaving the investigation's scope unclear.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Morocco: Moroccan Authorities Arrest Journalist Ali Lmrabet Over Alleged False Information
New York -- Moroccan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release French-Moroccan freelance journalist Ali Lmrabet, who has faced decades of pressure over his critical reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
Moroccan authorities arrest journalist Ali Lmrabet over alleged false information
New York, July 14, 2026 – Moroccan authorities must immediately and unconditionally release French-Moroccan freelance journalist Ali Lmrabet, who has faced decades of pressure over his critical reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday, July 12, authorities arrested Lmrabet upon his arrival at a Tangier airport from Spain, where he has lived...
The informant, critical of the regime of Mohamed VI, has been living in Spain for more than 20 years.
In Morocco, journalist Ali Lmrabet spent another night in detention. A prominent figure in the independent press, living in exile for several years, he was arrested upon entering Moroccan territory on July 12 after arriving from Spain. He is accused of "allegedly disseminating false information," according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Transferred to the National Brigade of the Judicial Police for questioning, he was still being held there…
The arrest in Morocco of critical journalist Ali Lmrabet puts Spain and France in the tesitura of denouncing their ally. More information: Moulay Hassan burns stages to succeed Mohamed VI: this will oversee the modernization of the Moroccan Army.
Prominent journalist jailed on return to Morocco
RABAT: A prominent Moroccan journalist and critic of the kingdom’s government was set to appear before a prosecutor on Monday for “spreading false information” after his arrest upon return to the country from Spain, his wife told AFP. Ali Lmrabet, 66, is a leading figure in Morocco’s independent press and has lived in Spain for years. He holds dual French-Moroccan citizenship.
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