A Moroccan activist with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has been charged with incitement to violence, as protests against Israel and its allies continue across the North African kingdom, which normalised ties with Tel Aviv in 2020.
Ismail Lghazaoui, 34, was arrested on 19 November in Casablanca after publicly denouncing Morocco’s hosting of two Maersk cargo ships allegedly carrying military equipment to Israel.
In viral videos and statements, Lghazaoui, along with other BDS activists, called on port workers and the public to block the ships’ arrival. While protests were limited, BDS Morocco confirmed to The New Arab that some workers at the Tangier port refused to unload the ships following the calls.
After his arrest, Lghazaoui was detained and denied bail by a Casablanca court, which ordered him to remain in custody.
The court cited charges under Article 1-299 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which criminalises incitement to violence through public speeches, writings, or electronic communication with penalties ranging from three months to one year in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
The activist’s next court appearance is scheduled for 26 November.
His legal team said the court’s decision “defies logic,” given Ismail’s “clean record and rising career as an agricultural engineer”.
Lghazaoui’s arrest has drawn criticism from international and local organisations, which raised concerns about freedom of speech in Morocco.
The global BDS movement described his detention as a “serious assault on fundamental freedoms.”
“It not only violates Morocco’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech but also its obligation under international law,” it added in a press release.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) has also demanded his immediate release, considering the case a stark example of Rabat’s increasing crackdown on dissent.
In October, Lghazaoui was reportedly briefly detained while en route to a protest at the US Consulate in Casablanca, where demonstrators protested Washington’s support for Israel’s continuing genocide in Gaza.Â
“The US is complicit in Ismail’s arrest and detention. This forms part of a global crackdown on Palestinian solidarity advocates,” wrote the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine Union, which has joined calls on Morocco to release Lghazaoui.
The crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in Morocco has extended beyond Lghazaoui.
Thirteen other activists are facing trial for attempting to blockade a Carrefour supermarket, which BDS has targeted over its ties to Israeli companies operating in settlements. They have been released pending trial.
Protests in Morocco have intensified since the Gaza war began, with demonstrators urging revoking the 2020 normalisation agreement between Rabat and Tel Aviv brokered by the United States.
Although Rabat has generally not restricted protests against Israel, authorities have banned demonstrators from approaching French and US embassies on multiple occasions and have used force to disrupt protests near Carrefour stores, according to pro-Palestinian groups.
In defence of Morocco’s ties with Israel, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has argued that maintaining relations does not equate to endorsing Israeli government policies.
