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Moroccan feminist and LGBTQ activist sentenced to prison in blasphemy case
- On September 3, 2025, a court in Rabat handed down a 30-month prison term and a $5,500 fine to Ibtissame Lachgar, a Moroccan women’s rights campaigner, for charges related to offending Islam.
- The conviction follows her arrest last month after posting an online photo wearing a T-shirt stating "Allah is lesbian," which triggered blasphemy charges under Morocco's criminal code.
- Lachgar argued the T-shirt bore a feminist political message unrelated to Islam, described it as a longstanding slogan against sexism, and insisted she meant no offense during the trial.
- Human rights groups criticized the sentence; Hakim Sikouk called it a "shocking" "attack" on freedom of expression, while Lachgar's lawyers confirmed plans to appeal citing constitutional rights.
- The case has intensified debates on freedom of expression in Morocco and highlighted tensions between constitutional protections and their practical enforcement.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Activist Calling Allah “Lesbian” Sentenced to Two and Half Years Prison
A Moroccan court on Wednesday, September 3rd, sentenced feminist and LGBT rights activist Ibtissame Lachgar to two and a half years in prison, accusing her of “attacking the Islamic religion” after she posted a photo on social media wearing a T-shirt with a message deemed “offensive to God.” The Rabat Court of First Instance also ordered Lachgar to pay a fine of nearly 50,000 dirhams (about €4,700). The controversy began when Lachgar posted a ph…
The activist had published on social media a picture of her wearing a T-shirt on which it is written "Allah is lesbian." She will appeal the judgment.
The Advocate
Out MagazineMoroccan court sentences activist to prison for T-shirt reading Allah 'is lesbian'
Morocco authorities sentenced a feminist activist to 30 months in prison for wearing a shirt declaring Allah “is lesbian.”The Rabat Primary Court on Wednesday issued the sentence to Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar, cofounder of the MALI movement, and fined her 50,000 Moroccan dirham, or about $5,000 U.S. dollars, according to Morocco World News. Judges found her guilty of violating the nation’s anti-blasphemy laws.Lachgar was arrested on August 10, ab…
A 50-year-old woman was sentenced to 30 months in prison by a Moroccan court. She was accused of wearing a t-shirt with an inscription, considered blasphemous. The relatives of the five-year-old speak...
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