Human Rights Watch has called on Moroccan authorities to investigate the use of «lethal force by the Royal Gendarmerie and other security forces» during recent youth-led GenZ protests. In a statement shared Wednesday, the rights group urged Rabat to «heed protesters' calls» for better healthcare and education instead of resorting to repression, denouncing what it described as «widespread abuses» that followed the September 27 demonstrations organized by the GenZ212 movement, which demanded an end to corruption and greater public spending on social services. «The government should replace repressive tactics with public engagement and wide-ranging reforms», said Hanan Salah, HRW's Associate Middle East and North Africa Director, calling for transparent investigations into the events in Lqliâa and the reported killing of three men, and to hold accountable any gendarmerie members found responsible for wrongdoing. Speaking to CNN last week, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said the fatalities occurred «within the framework of self-defense», adding that «the public prosecutor has launched an investigation under the supervision of the Attorney General». The protests erupted amid growing frustration over deteriorating public services, youth unemployment, and corruption, as Morocco prepares to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
