Moroccan Makhzen faces public wrath after sentencing BDS activist amid efforts to “silence dissent”
RABAT – The Moroccan Makhzen regime continues its judicial crackdown on activists opposing normalisation with the Zionist entity, sentencing Ismail Ghazaoui, a member of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, to one year in prison. This has ignited widespread protests across the country, denouncing what is seen as “arbitrary repression” and an “attempt to silence dissent.”
An analysis article published Saturday on the Afrik.com news website argues that “the arrest and conviction of Ismail Ghazaoui exposes the deep divide between the official policy of normalisation with the Zionist entity and the strong support for the Palestinian cause within Moroccan civil society. This trial reignites a growing protest movement that has intensified since the December 2020 agreements.”
On November 13, 2023, Ghazaoui, a BDS activist, protested the stopover of two Maersk cargo ships at the Tangier port, suspected of transporting military equipment to the Zionist entity. Videos shared on social media show Ghazaoui and fellow activists urging port workers to prevent the ships from docking. Some dock workers responded to the call, risking sanctions from their employers, the article noted.
Ghazaoui was tried before the Casablanca criminal court and sentenced on December 10 to one year in prison and a fine of 5,000 dirhams.
The analyst argues that “this trial highlights the widening gap between the official normalisation policy and a civil society that is overwhelmingly supportive of the Palestinian cause.”
Ghazaoui’s conviction has sparked protests across Morocco, according to the journalist. The Moroccan Support for Political Prisoners (Hemm) denounced the “arbitrary repression,” while other human rights organisations see the legal actions as an “attempt to stifle dissent.”
Additionally, other activists are facing legal action: thirteen members of the Moroccan Front for Palestine Support are currently on trial in Salé, according to the same source.
This judicial crackdown comes amid a “strong popular outcry” in response to ongoing bombardments by the Zionist army on Gaza, which have persisted without respite since October 7, 2023, resulting in nearly 45,000 martyrs.
As a result, pro-Palestinian protests are spreading across Morocco’s major cities despite restrictions and repression.
In the face of this public anger, the Makhzen regime “finds itself in a delicate position” with “a public opinion that is largely supportive of the Palestinian cause,” the article concluded.
