Morocco: Anti-Normalization Activist Abdelrahman Zenkad Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
The Court of Appeal in Casablanca has sentenced anti-normalization activist and member of the “Al Adl Wal Ihsan Group,” Abdelrahman Zenkad, to four years in prison for his posts criticizing normalization with the Zionist entity.
Initially, the Mohammedia primary court had handed Zenkad a five-year prison sentence. However, on Wednesday, the Casablanca Court of Appeals reduced the sentence to four years. During his trial, Zenkad remained in detention.
Zenkad was arrested on March 22 following a police raid on his home. He appeared before the Mohammedia primary court two days later, facing charges related to his anti-normalization posts concerning the atrocities committed in Gaza by Zionist entity.
He was charged with “insulting and defaming a constitutional institution through electronic means, incitement to commit felonies, and spreading false information with intent to defame.”
The Al Adl Wal Ihsan group in Mohammedia condemned the verdict against Zenkad, calling it “unfair.” In their statement, they highlighted the “serious deterioration” of human rights in Morocco and criticized the unjust prosecutions and sentences against dissidents, even those who merely voice opposition or post in support for the just and legitimate cause of Palestine.
The group questioned: “Was the regime not aware that by unilaterally signing the normalization agreement, it placed itself outside the free will of the people, who have always stood by Palestine and its legitimate right to reclaim all its land from Zionists? Did they not anticipate opposition to this reckless step?”
Condemning the “unjust” sentence and others like it against dissidents, the political group expressed their rejection of the “unfair and oppressive” verdict, calling it an ongoing campaign to intimidate and silence voices opposing state policies. They emphasized that “Zenkad is a prisoner of conscience paying the price for speaking the truth under a repressive regime, and this sentence only adds to his honor and dignity.” They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting him through all possible legal means until he gains his freedom.
The statement also noted that “the battle to annul the ill-fated normalization agreement is no less significant than the struggle to liberate Palestine from the filth of Zionists. The sacrifices made by the free to this cause are insignificant compared to the glory of defending Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
