Moroccan authorities detained rapper Mehdi Black Wind earlier this week, and he is currently being held in a Casablanca prison. A public appeal has been issued, demanding his immediate release.

Is this a politically motivated arrest? The Moroccan public prosecutor referred rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, widely known by his stage name “Mehdi Black Wind,” for immediate court appearance on Wednesday. El Mahdi Lyoubi, 34, was informed of a travel ban at Rabat airport on Friday, preventing him from boarding a flight to France, where he has resided for nearly a decade, according to his support committee.

He received a summons from the Casablanca judicial police on Monday before being placed in custody. But what exactly led to the artist’s arrest?

arrested for his critical viewpoints?

While Moroccan authorities have not yet officially disclosed the charges, the rapper’s detention could be connected to his political positions. This is the argument put forth by those who authored the appeal demanding El Mahdi Lyoubi’s liberation. Indeed, the rapper and filmmaker is recognized within independent artistic circles for his lyrics critically examining Moroccan society and its inequalities, which may be the underlying reason for this apprehension.

“Based on information available at this stage, his arrest appears linked to his artistic stances and posts on social media platforms,” states the published appeal advocating for his “immediate release.”

 
 
 
 
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Une publication partagée par Free El Mahdi (@free.el.mahdi)

Over 700 cultural figures, including Moroccan filmmaker Faouzi Bensaidi and French actresses Adèle Haenel and Aïssa Maïga, signed an appeal on Wednesday, condemning his detention and calling for his release. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) also urged his liberation and an end to the “policy of restriction targeting critical voices,” as stated in a communiqué issued on Tuesday.

The artist appeared before a judge at the Casablanca Court of First Instance on Wednesday. The hearing was adjourned to July 22 to allow him to prepare his defense, as lawyers in Morocco have been on strike for the past month.