Detained in Morocco the journalist Ali Lmrabet, resident of Barcelona
He had traveled to Tangier for personal reasons and they arrested him at the airport
BarcelonaMoroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet, who has lived in Barcelona for more than twenty years, was arrested this Sunday in Morocco after landing at Tangier International Airport. According to his wife, Laura Feliu, dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Barcelona, who spoke to ARA, the journalist has been transferred to the National Brigade of Judicial Police in Casablanca, and the charges against him have not been communicated.
"Ali told me that he considers himself kidnapped and has decided to personally take charge of his defense and not use any lawyer," Feliu points out. "According to what they indicated to him in Tangier, the case would be related solely to the exercise of freedom of expression, with no other type of offense," adds the dean. Moroccan authorities have not officially confirmed the journalist's arrest nor have they provided information about his legal situation in the country.
Lmrabet (Tetouan, 1959) has distinguished himself by practicing independent journalism critical of the Moroccan monarchy and the deep state. His career has been marked by his journalistic commitment at the helm of Le Journal, Demain and various satirical publications that were banned in Morocco. In recent years, Lmrabet has collaborated with international media in Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, among other countries, and hosts a podcast on Moroccan politics.
In 2003, he was sentenced to four years in prison, but was released after one year thanks to a pardon from King Mohamed VI, after a hunger strike and an international campaign calling for his release. Morocco banned him from practicing journalism for ten years, and since 2005 he has lived in Barcelona, although he often travels to Morocco to visit family. This is the first time Lmrabet has been arrested in Morocco since living in Barcelona.
Suffocating dissident voices
Numerous international organizations have warned about systemic violations of freedom of expression in Morocco. The NGO Human Rights Watch published in 2022 a devastating report accusing Moroccan authorities of having built a subtle legal and media machinery to stifle any dissenting voice.
In the press freedom ranking of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Morocco ranks 105th out of 180 countries analyzed. The press freedom advocacy organization denounces that "independent Moroccan journalists suffer constant pressure and the government aims to subdue media outlets and put them at its service. The current government, led by influential businessman Aziz Ajanuch, has strengthened its control over the sector." It also points out that "the pluralism of the Moroccan press is nothing more than a facade, as the media do not reflect the diversity of political opinions in the country. Independent media and journalists face strong pressure, and the right to information is relegated to a propaganda and disinformation machine in service of the political agenda of the government and its entourage".
The release of journalists Taoufik Bouachrine, Omar Radi, and Soulaimane Raissouni, with a royal pardon granted on July 30, 2024, generated some hope. Nevertheless, journalists continue to be under constant threat of legal action and defamation campaigns. During the coverage of the Generation Z protests in 2025, several journalists had their work on the ground obstructed.