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Moroccan Court Denies Bail for Activist Ibtissame ‘Betty’ Lachgar, Trial Postponed to September 3

She faces prosecution under Morocco’s article 267‑5 over a social‑media post deemed offensive to Islam, an offense punishable by up to five years in prison.

Un tribunal marocain a refusé mercredi 27 août une demande de liberté provisoire pour la militante féministe Ibtissame Lachgar jugée pour « atteinte à l’islam ».
La militante féministe Ibtissame Lachgar doit être jugée pour « atteinte à l’islam » ce mercredi 27 août 2025 au Maroc. Photo d’illustration : le tribunal de Rabat.
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Overview

  • Lachgar has been held at El Arjat prison since August 12 and is reportedly kept in isolation, according to her defense.
  • The court heard the case on August 27, rejected a request for provisional release, and rescheduled proceedings to September 3 after new lawyers sought time to prepare.
  • Defense lawyers submitted medical records citing long‑standing bone cancer and urgent surgery with a risk of arm amputation, but the judge maintained detention.
  • The prosecution stems from a late‑July photo showing Lachgar wearing a T‑shirt reading “Allah is lesbian,” accompanied by text criticizing Islam, which triggered online denunciations and threats.
  • Human‑rights groups including AMDH condemn her incarceration as a violation of free expression, while small rallies and a petition garnering more than 3,700 signatures have called for her release.