The sentencing of one of the prominent faces of Morocco’s Gen Z 212 protests has raised alarm among human rights groups in the country, who are calling it "another example of the criminalisation of freedom of expression and civic engagement".
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) said Zineb Kharroubi's six-month suspended sentence for her activism during the youth-led protests last year "forms part of a wider trend of increasing prosecutions targeting young people engaged in the peaceful exercise of their fundamental rights," in a statement to The New Arab .
The activist's sentence handed on Monday by a court in Casablanca over allegedly "inciting to commit crimes or offences by electronic means". She 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.
Mohammed Amine Abidar, of AMDH'S branch in Nador, said: "The Gen Z 212 movement embodies a generation of young people demanding greater social justice, democracy and dignity. Responding to these aspirations through judicial repression rather than dialogue is a worrying political choice that further undermines civil liberties."
"I condemn any manipulation of the justice system aimed at restricting fundamental freedoms."
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). Fundamental freedoms 'not a threat' Over 2,400 people were arrested amid the biggest protests in Morocco since 2011-2012 , which were sparked by discontent with healthcare, education, and youth unemployment, and anger over increased government investment in sporting events such as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, at the expense of public services.
The protests' organisers mobilised anonymously through the messaging app Discord, under the decentralised Gen Z 212 collective. 212 is the country code for Morocco.
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. The rallies , which took place almost daily for three weeks, gradually lost momentum in October —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.
Kharroubi's sentencing comes after six minors were sentenced to six months in prison last month, after they were convicted of "obstructing traffic" on a motorway during one of the demonstrations.
Abidar stressed: "Prosecutions against peaceful activists must cease, and the Moroccan authorities must fully respect freedom of expression, assembly and civic engagement.
There can be no rule of law when peaceful expression exposes citizens to legal proceedings. Fundamental freedoms must never be treated as a threat, but as the foundation of any democratic society."