One of the prominent faces of Morocco’s Gen Z 212 protests has been handed a 6-month suspended sentence by a court in Casablanca over allegedly "inciting to commit crimes or offences by electronic means".
Zineb Kharroubi has also been ordered to pay a 5,000 dirham ($532) fine by Casablanca’s Court of First Instance on Monday, her lawyer El Hassan Essoni confirmed.
Essoni said while the sentencing was "lenient," he was still surprised at the decision, saying that nothing in the case file warranted such a decision.
The 29-year-old activist and filmmaker, who is based in France, was arrested on 12 February this year immediately upon her arrival at Marrakech-Ménara Airport before being referred to authorities for investigation.
The charges against her are based on Instagram posts she made calling for demonstrators to “gather” outside the Moroccan embassy in Paris, as the Gen Z 212 protests gained momentum in the North African country and across the diaspora.
Following her arrest, authorities questioned her and transferred her to police custody in Casablanca before being presented to the prosecution there. Her trial was due to take place on 26 February, before being adjourned to 9 March. Her case was also subjected to five separate hearings.
The prosecution sought to convict her based on three separate social media posts, considered by the prosecutor’s office to be an incitement to commit a crime, as per article 299-1 of the Moroccan penal code.
At a previous hearing, her lawyers argued for her acquittal, maintaining that "demonstrating is not a crime in Morocco" and that calling for a gathering “could not” constitute "incitement to commit an offence".
They had also argued that the alleged acts took place in France rather than Morocco. The Moroccan prosecution, however, said it was a criminal matter subject to investigation “under national law”.
The prosecutor sought Kharroubi’s conviction without specifying a particular sentence. Under the article of the penal code regarding "incitement to commit crimes or offences," the activist faced a prison term of between three months and five years, as well as a fine of up to 100,000 dirhams (approximately 9,300 euros).
The court ruling sparked a wave of solidarity with the activist.
The women’s rights-focused Khmissa Collective condemned the court's decision and demanded an end to malicious prosecutions against female activists.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the NGO said: "Handing down sentences that deprive individuals of their liberty—even if suspended—for expressing an opinion raises grave concerns. It fosters a climate that threatens freedom of expression and restricts the space for young men and women to participate in public discourse."
The 29-year Moroccan activist is also a France-based filmmaker and film producer, and has been listed in production and distribution contacts for film projects.
She emerged as one of the leading faces of the popular protest movement due to her activism on social media, which gained ground in the North African country, in autumn last year.
The protests were triggered by frustrations and discontent with the government’s increased spending on events such as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, instead of focusing on public services such as education and healthcare , as well as youth unemployment.
The rallies, which took place almost daily for three weeks, gradually lost momentum—particularly following King Mohammed VI's speech calling for accelerated social reforms and the government's announcement of a budgetary effort for 2026, aimed at healthcare and education.
The protests were also marked by several incidents of violence and clashes with authorities, which saw the deaths of three people near Agadir, in the south of the country.