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Rabat — Ahmed Zefzafi, father of imprisoned activist Nasser Zefzafi, died today after battling stage IV cancer, marking a tragic end to a months-long struggle.
His death comes just months after Moroccan prison authorities allowed Nasser Zefzafi to leave Tangier 2 prison temporarily in May to visit his ailing father at a private clinic in Al Hoceima.
The rare prison visit reflected the severity of Ahmed Zefzafi’s condition and the family’s desperate circumstances.
The elder Zefzafi fought cancer that had spread to his lungs, liver, and lymph nodes throughout his chest and abdomen. Doctors diagnosed him with the incurable disease earlier this year, though he underwent chemotherapy treatments in an attempt to control its progression.
Human rights organizations had written appeals for Nasser Zefzafi’s humanitarian release in July, specifically citing his father’s terminal cancer diagnosis.
Organizations including Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and MENA Rights Group wrote letters requesting that authorities consider releasing the activist so he could care for his dying father.
The organizations timed their requests to coincide with the anniversary of King Mohammed VI accession to the throne, traditionally a period when Morocco considers mercy for prisoners.
Read also: Nasser Zefzafi, Hirak Rif Activist, Excels in University Exams from Prison
Nasser Zefzafi, now 46, became a prominent figure in the Hirak Rif protest movement that began in 2016 following the death of fishmonger Mohcine Fikri, who died after he crushed in a garbage truck while trying to retrieve his confiscated fish.
The protests drew thousands of people seeking economic development in the Rif region.
Authorities arrested Zefzafi in May 2017 after he interrupted a Friday sermon at a mosque in Al Hoceima, where he disagreed with the imam’s remarks about the protest movement. A Court in Casablanca sentenced him to 20 years in prison along with three other activists in June 2018.
The court handed down sentences ranging from 1 to 20 years to 54 activists in total, in a trial that sparked widespread criticism from local and international human rights organizations.
Despite his imprisonment, Zefzafi has continued his education behind bars. He earned his high school diploma in 2024 and has performed well in university exams while serving his sentence. He passed of the second-semester university exams from prison for the 2024-2025 academic year with an impressive average of 15.64.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a statement about Zefzafi’s case in August 2024. The European Parliament also discussed his situation in a resolution in 2023.
Ahmed Zefzafi’s death leaves behind a grieving family dealing with loss while his son remains in prison.
