Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi temporarily released from prison

The outspoken creator was detained successful mid-July for ‘insulting a law institution’.

The politically outspoken Moroccan rapper and filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi has been granted a provisional merchandise from situation successful Casablanca, Morocco, aft being detained for 18 days.

A justice granted El Youbi’s petition for provisional merchandise connected Friday, according to a connection from a radical of his supporters shared with Al Jazeera.

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“He volition not instrumentality to Oukacha Prison, wherever helium had been held since 15 July. While we are highly blessed to cognize that helium has been provisionally released, we are present waiting for his adjacent proceeding connected 2 October 2026,” the connection said.

“As things stand, Mehdi is inactive being prosecuted nether Article 179 of the Moroccan Penal Code for ‘insulting a law institution.’ He inactive faces a condemnation of six months to 2 years successful prison, arsenic good arsenic a good of betwixt 20,000 and 200,000 Moroccan dirhams [$2,150 to $21,500].”

Better known by his signifier name, Mehdi Black Wind, El Youbi was arrested successful Casablanca days aft being barred from returning to France, wherever helium has been based since 2017.

His apprehension was believed to beryllium linked to his creator views and posts connected societal media, his supporters said.

El Youbi roseate to prominence successful Morocco and crossed North Africa successful the aboriginal 2010s, astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the Arab Spring, with songs that caught the attraction of authorities for their politically engaged lyrics.

Omar Radi, a Moroccan investigative writer and quality rights activistic who was previously jailed for criticising a judge, earlier told Al Jazeera that El Youbi is “the astir outspoken and politically nonstop Moroccan rapper”.

At the clip of El Youbi’s arrest, a protagonist said the determination reflected the “intensified repression linked to the Gen Z movement”, referring to the youth-led protestation movement that emerged past year successful Morocco demanding amended wellness services and acquisition reforms.

In the radical connection shared with Al Jazeera, El Youbi’s supporters said “600 people” stay successful detention since Autumn 2025. “Some sentences are arsenic agelong arsenic 15 years successful prison.”

In October, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights reported that 600 radical had been held for participating successful the protests.

El Youbi appeared earlier a justice successful Casablanca connected Friday without a lawyer, arsenic lawyers successful Morocco are presently connected strike, which acrophobic his supporters. But they said the “wave of support” that followed his arrest, with rallies held successful cities crossed Morocco, Europe and North America, helped successful his impermanent release.