Prosecution reveals numbers linked to Moroccan GenZ protests

The President of the Public Prosecution, Hassan Farhan, has revealed new numbers linked to the detainees during the Moroccan GenZ protests, according to Yabilaadi on October 29th.

The prosecution noted that many individuals were arrested during the demonstrations, and approximately 3,300 of them were released after undergoing security checks. Many minors were reportedly involved in the protests, with court rulings against 162 of them, of which 83 were returned to their guardians.

The Moroccan GenZ protests that stemmed from disappointment with misplaced priorities and public funds from the government initially documented more than 500 people being arrested in just the first six days of the demonstration. A hashtag named #FreeKoulchi, meaning “Free Everyone” in Moroccan Arabic, was viral at the time when people, particularly the youth, were being detained for protesting.

Farhan explained that individuals found to have committed violence and serious crimes like endangering public safety, property, or order totalled 2,480 people. They were referred to prosecutors’ offices across the Kingdom, including Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Tangier, and Oujda, to face their appropriate legal charges.

Prosecutors charged 2,480 people post investigations, and 959 of them were released, and 1,473 people remained in custody. Some received suspended sentences or were acquitted, and this number has dropped since. Minors were also released as per the Penal Procedure Code applicable to juvenile justice.

About 48 cases were said to be dropped by prosecutors. In the initial court trials, 301 adult cases were decided; of which 208 of them received prison sentences, 66 of them received suspended sentences, and 27 of them were found not guilty. By October 27th, 66 people had been tried at the appellate criminal courts, where 61 were convicted and 5 were acquitted.

Overall, acquittals made up 11.4% of initial court judgements and 9.7% of appellate decisions so far, according to data released.

Recently, the GenZ 212 movement has seen fewer numbers since the crackdown on protests and government efforts to both address the movement’s concerns and redirect youth engagement.