Some sixty Moroccan politicians, intellectuals, journalists, and activists have signed an open letter to King Mohammed VI backing the Generation Z protests. They called on him to end the ongoing crackdown and to initiate broad reforms of the country's power structure. In a bold move, around sixty prominent figures from Morocco's political, intellectual, media, and human rights circles have signed an open letter to King Mohammed VI, addressing him as «the highest authority in the country». The letter, titled «Time to Act Deeply», highlights the plight of Moroccan citizens, noting that «the Moroccan people are suffering, and its youth have been loudly protesting in the streets for ten days», while alleging that the authorities' response has been marked by «repression and hundreds of arrests». Among the signatories are former parliamentarian and Justice and Development Party member Abdelaziz Aftati; lawyer Abderrahim Jamai; journalist Omar Radi; poet and writer Abdellatif Laâbi; university professor and media figure Omar Brouksy; human rights activist Ahmed Benchemsi; retired academic Bachir Ben Barka; writer and activist Ahmed Assid; historian Maâti Monjib; and university professor and politician Nabila Mounib. Driven by the gravity of the situation, the signatories said they felt compelled to appeal to the king «before the spiral of despair and violence, God forbid, leads us into the unknown». The letter stresses that Morocco's youth, described as «the beating heart of society», are demanding reforms in the health and education sectors and even «a reform of the entire governance approach». These demands, deemed legitimate and supported by the wider public, require a practical, profound, and politically grounded response. The signatories note that Generation Z protesters are calling for the resignation of the government led by Aziz Akhannouch. They expressed support for this demand, emphasizing that it should be pursued through appropriate constitutional channels. They also warned that while such action may be necessary given the situation's severity, it would remain symbolic unless it addressed the deeper structural causes of the national discontent. They stressed that meaningful change must focus on three key areas: Moralizing public power by effectively combating corruption, cronyism, and the overlap between money and politics; Prioritizing citizens' basic needs, namely education, healthcare, and employment; and Restoring institutional credibility by ensuring that the exercise of real power is tied to genuine political accountability before the people. Appeals to the King In their open letter, the signatories respectfully urged King Mohammed VI to extend condolences on behalf of the state to the families of recent victims, to commit to serious and transparent investigations into these tragedies, and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. The Ministry of Interior recently reported the deaths of three individuals in Lqliâa, in the Inezgane province, who were shot when security forces responded to an attempted raid on a Royal Gendarmerie post. The letter also calls for an immediate «human rights breakthrough», including the release of all detainees from the GenerationZ 212 movement, as well as all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Morocco, beginning with those from the Rif Movement. It urges an end to politically motivated prosecutions, guarantees for the independence of public media with openness to diverse perspectives, and reforms of the penal code to remove barriers to freedom of expression. The signatories advocate «launching a constitutional reform process that genuinely enshrines the democratic sovereignty of the people, fundamental freedoms, and the separation of powers, through a process that completely breaks with past practices of appointing constitutional committees under the influence of the Makhzen or the deep state». They further call for «opening a national dialogue that ensures broad representation, with the aim of reviewing Morocco's economic and social priorities and determining how best to implement them». Pending the results of this dialogue, they suggest assigning a national body to suspend or scale down unnecessary investments, review projects tainted by suspicion, and redirect available budgets toward public health and education. The letter concludes with an appeal to the monarch: «We sincerely hope that you receive this letter as a genuine initiative aimed at moving our country forward, without blame or exclusion».
