Franco-Algerian influencer arrested in Marrakech
A few days after her arrest in the Marrakech airport on June 14th, the Franco-Algerian influencer Yass Naubelle has yet to be released by Moroccan authorities, while no information has been released about her condition or location. According to Algerian website VVA, the judicial basis of her arrest is unknown, while a legal police custody can only go up to 6 days in Morocco.
As she was going to board a plane from Marrakech to France, the tourist was arrested in the airport, then placed in police custody. No official charges or felonies were mentioned by Moroccan authorities.
The influencer had posted a video online criticising the way people drive in Morocco, as well as the attitude of drivers themselves in Marrakech specifically. Moroccan authorities have considered these declarations as “criminal acts”, delivering a national arrest warrant for Ms Naubelle. The Moroccan justice announced keeping her in custody to determine her intentions behind these “criminal acts”. Ever since, no information has been released.
The story was picked up by a number of Moroccan media outlets, who then suddenly dropped it, leading to a media blackout around Yass Naubelle’s controversial arrest.
The influencer’s social media accounts have been inactive ever since, and the video criticising motorists has been deleted.
Yass Naubelle made a parallel in her video to road users in Algeria, comparing both conduct styles while affirming that motorists were much more respectful in Algeria. She further stated that the police tried to bribe people on the side of the road, taking money from foreigners and taking advantage of their status.
Her declarations, whether opinions or facts, did not sit well with Moroccan authorities, while the comparison with Algeria might have also worsened her situation, as the diplomatic relations between both countries have only deteriorated since the closing of the border more than 30 years ago in 1994, partially due to the conflict surrounding Western Sahara.
VVA, Maghrebi.org
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