Casablanca — The Criminal Chamber of the Casablanca Court of Appeal issued its ruling late Thursday night in the case involving young protesters arrested following demonstrations linked to the GenZ 212 movement.
Families and relatives who gathered outside Ain Sebaa prison, known as Oukacha, welcomed the court’s decision.
The case concerns 18 young people arrested after protests organized by members of the GenZ 212 movement that took place on Casablanca’s urban highway in late September 2025. The protests called for better living conditions, reforms in the healthcare system, and greater social justice.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered their prosecution in detention on charges related to obstructing traffic and disrupting vehicle circulation on a public road. Some defendants also faced additional charges, including drug consumption.
The court sentenced three defendants who had been prosecuted while at liberty to one-year suspended prison terms. 13 others received eight-month prison sentences. Having already spent that period in pretrial detention, they were released immediately after the verdict was announced.
Two additional defendants were sentenced to nine months in prison, and are expected to leave prison within the coming two weeks after completing the remainder of their sentences.
Six minors linked to the same case are scheduled to appear before the courts on June 19.
The ruling effectively closes one of the most closely watched legal cases linked to the GenZ 212 protests, with the majority of those detained now regaining their freedom after approximately 8 months in custody.
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