A Moroccan court has sentenced prominent feminist activist Ibtissame Lachgar to 30 months in prison and fined her 50,000 dirhams (£4,027) for wearing a t-shirt bearing the slogan “Allah is lesbian” in what human rights groups are calling a devastating blow to freedom of expression.
The 50-year-old clinical psychologist and women’s rights campaigner was convicted on 3 September of “causing harm to Islam” under Article 267.5 of Morocco’s penal code. Her defence team immediately announced plans to appeal the verdict, which came at the stricter end of sentencing guidelines that allow for six months to two years’ imprisonment.
Lachgar, who co-founded the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (MALI), was arrested on 10 August after posting a photograph of herself wearing the controversial shirt on social media platform X on 31 July. The image was accompanied by text describing Islam as “fascist, phallocratic and misogynistic.”
Defiant Message Sparks Backlash
In her social media post that led to her arrest, Lachgar wrote defiantly: “In Morocco, I walk around with t-shirts bearing messages against religions, Islam, etc. You tire us with your sanctimoniousness, your accusations.”
She added: “Yes, Islam, like any religious ideology, is FASCIST. PHALLOCRATIC AND MISOGYNISTIC.”
The post triggered an immediate and violent online backlash. Lachgar later revealed she had received “thousands of sexist insults, rape and death threats, calls for murder, stoning” in the days following the upload.
One particularly chilling message she quoted read: “Her freedom is an insult to all Moroccans. There is nothing more sacred to Moroccans than Allah, than Islam. This woman’s place is behind bars.”
Health Concerns Ignored by Court
The Rabat court rejected a motion to release Lachgar on medical grounds despite her lawyers providing documentation showing she requires ongoing treatment for cancer. Defence lawyer Mohamed Khattab confirmed the activist remains in detention whilst her appeal is prepared.
Reports suggest Lachgar is being held in isolation and “forbidden from speaking to other inmates,” according to her legal team. A similar request for medical release had been rejected the previous week.
During an earlier hearing, Lachgar told the judge that the message on her t-shirt was a “feminist slogan which has existed for years, against sexist ideologies and violence against women… and has no connection to the Islamic faith.”
International Condemnation
Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the sentence, with associate Middle East and North Africa director Hanan Salah stating: “Sentencing an activist to more than two years in prison merely for posting a photo on social media is a huge blow to free speech in Morocco.
The organisation called for Moroccan authorities to exonerate Lachgar and abolish what they termed “draconian legislation” used as a tool to violate free speech rights.
Hakim Sikouk, president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, described the sentence as “shocking” and an “attack” on freedom of expression.
The National Secular Society has also called for Lachgar’s immediate release, with head of campaigns Megan Manson declaring: “Blasphemy laws have no place anywhere.”
History of Activism
Lachgar has been a prominent figure in Morocco’s struggle for individual freedoms for over 15 years. In 2009, she co-founded MALI alongside journalist Zineb El Rhazoui, establishing the movement to defend individual liberties in the North African kingdom.
MALI gained international attention in September 2009 when it attempted to stage a symbolic picnic during Ramadan in the woods near Mohammedia. The protest aimed to challenge Article 222 of Morocco’s penal code, which criminalises Muslims who publicly break their fast during Ramadan.
Though police prevented the picnic from taking place, intercepting participants at the train station and forcing them to leave, the attempted protest sparked nationwide debate about religious freedom. At least four participants were arrested and held for questioning over several days.
Kiss-In and Abortion Rights
Lachgar’s activism continued to challenge Moroccan social norms throughout the following decade. In 2013, she organised a “Kiss-In” protest outside parliament in Rabat, responding to the arrest of three teenagers who had posted a photograph of themselves kissing on Facebook.
“Our message is that they are defending love, the freedom to love and kiss freely,” Lachgar stated at the time.
In 2012, she invited the Dutch “abortion boat” run by Women on Waves to dock in Morocco, aiming to highlight the lack of reproductive rights for women in the country. The vessel, which could legally perform abortions under Dutch law whilst in Moroccan waters, was eventually escorted away by the Moroccan navy.
Morocco’s Blasphemy Laws
Under Morocco’s strict blasphemy legislation, individuals convicted of “causing harm” to Islam face six months to two years in prison and fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 dirhams (£1,612 to £40,000). The sentence can increase to five years if the offence is committed publicly, including through electronic means.
Article 70 of Morocco’s press code additionally allows for fines and court-ordered suspension of publications and electronic media found responsible for offending Islam.
This is not Morocco’s first high-profile blasphemy case. In 2022, blogger Fatima Karim was sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly insulting Islam through Facebook posts.
Previous Run-ins with Authorities
Lachgar has faced legal troubles before. She was arrested in 2016 for disturbing public order and again in 2018 during a campaign supporting abortion rights, though she was not prosecuted in either case.
Interestingly, one of her lawyers noted that police had previously questioned Lachgar in 2022 about the same photograph of her wearing the controversial t-shirt, with no charges filed at that time.
The activist, who studied clinical psychology, criminology and victimology in Paris, has been particularly vocal about LGBT rights in Morocco and has campaigned for same-sex marriage. In 2019, she served as spokesperson for a support network for Chafiq, a Moroccan transgender woman whose identity was publicly revealed by police in Marrakech.
Broader Implications
Human rights advocates argue that Lachgar’s case reflects broader systemic restrictions on free expression in Morocco, despite constitutional guarantees and a 2016 press law that nominally abolished prison sentences for press offences.
Prosecutors in Morocco have what HRW describes as “an arsenal of repressive legislation” to punish critics for non-violent speech, including harsh laws on terrorism, cybercrime, apostasy and criminal defamation.
Some defenders of the prosecution argue that blasphemy-style offences are not unique to Morocco, noting that numerous countries across Europe, Africa and Asia still penalise acts deemed to insult religion or wound religious sentiment.
From this perspective, supporters of the law argue the state has a role in preventing provocations that could inflame communal tensions in a majority-Muslim society where religion plays a central role in public life.
International Speaking Engagement Cancelled
Lachgar had been scheduled to speak at the FiLiA2025 feminist conference in Brighton in October. FiLiA CEO Lisa-Marie Taylor called for her immediate release, stating: “We are proud to platform women who speak truth to power, including those who challenge and criticise religion, because this is, fundamentally, a feminist issue.”
She added: “Silencing women for ‘blasphemy’ is a violation of their human rights and an attack on women’s freedom to think, speak, and live without fear.”
As Lachgar’s case proceeds through the appeals process, it has reignited debates about freedom of expression, religious sensitivity and women’s rights in Morocco. The outcome could have significant implications for activists and free speech advocates across the region.
Friends and family members were seen weeping outside the Rabat courthouse as the verdict was announced, highlighting the personal toll of Morocco’s ongoing struggle between traditional religious values and calls for greater individual freedoms.
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