Prominent Moroccan rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, known by his stage name «Mehdi Black Wind», finds himself currently held in a Casablanca prison following his arrest by Moroccan authorities earlier this week. A public appeal has been launched, urgently calling for his «immediate» liberation.
Is this a politically motivated detention? The Moroccan public prosecutor’s office referred rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, 34, for an immediate court appearance on Wednesday. Just days prior, on Friday, Lyoubi was served with a travel ban at Rabat airport as he prepared to board a flight to France, where he has resided for nearly a decade, according to his support committee.
He was subsequently summoned by the judicial police in Casablanca on Monday before being taken into custody. The question remains: what led to the artist’s arrest?
arrested for his critical stances?
While Moroccan authorities have yet to officially disclose the specific charges, the rapper’s arrest is widely believed to be linked to his political views. This theory is strongly advocated by those who authored the public appeal demanding El Mahdi Lyoubi’s release. Indeed, the rapper and filmmaker is recognized within independent artistic circles for his powerful lyrics that critique Moroccan society and its pervasive inequalities, a stance that many believe is the true reason behind his apprehension.
«Based on the information available at this stage, his arrest appears connected to his artistic positions and social media publications,» states the published appeal, which insists on his «immediate release.»
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More than 700 cultural figures, including Moroccan filmmaker Faouzi Bensaidi and French actresses Adèle Haenel and Aïssa Maïga, co-signed the appeal on Wednesday, condemning his detention and demanding his release. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) also issued a statement on Tuesday, calling for Lyoubi’s freedom and an end to policies restricting critical voices.
The artist appeared before a judge at the Casablanca Court of First Instance on Wednesday. The hearing was adjourned until July 22 to allow him to prepare his defense, a necessity given that lawyers in Morocco have been on strike for the past month, a source close to the case confirmed.