The Support Committee for Ibtissame (Betty) Lachgar expressed its «outrage and bewilderment» on Wednesday following the appeal verdict delivered on October 6 in Rabat. The ruling upheld a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence and a fine of 50,000 dirhams against the feminist activist for remarks deemed offensive to divinity. Last summer, Lachgar posted a photo taken abroad in which she wore a T-shirt bearing an expression perceived as blasphemous in Morocco. In a statement, the committee said the judgment «ignored the essential elements raised by the defense», notably «the absence of intentionality in the alleged acts, the lack of any real threat to public order, and the extraterritorial nature of the facts», as well as procedural flaws in her arrest and the drafting of the police report. The group also denounced what it described as a contradiction between Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees «freedom of thought, opinion, and expression in all its forms», and Article 267-5 of the Penal Code, under which Lachgar, co-founder of the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (MALI), was convicted. The statement stressed that «nothing in this case justifies a prison sentence». Beyond the ruling itself, the committee voiced concern over the detention conditions of the clinical psychologist, a «cancer survivor» who suffers from «recurring pain related to her prosthesis, which requires surgical replacement». It warned that «each day without appropriate medical care is another day of suffering». The group added that Lachgar has «limited access to phone calls, walks, and activities», even though Moroccan law provides for alternative sentences that are «more humane and proportionate», and for which she is «fully eligible». The committee stressed that it is «not seeking any privilege», but simply «the equal and consistent application of the law», through an alternative sentence allowing access to specialized medical care and detention conditions that respect human dignity. It concluded by urging the judiciary to «stop punishing instead of repairing, and to apply the law in its most humane dimensions, equality, dignity, and care». The committee had previously warned that the criminalization of «an artistic and activist provocation» poses a threat to freedom of expression.
