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Rabat – Morocco’s General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) has denied claims circulating on Facebook that prisoners arrested during the Gen Z protests in several Moroccan cities have been subjected to torture, abuse, poor detention conditions, and denial of healthcare and books.
The prison authority described the allegations as “baseless” and said the prisoners are being held in full respect of Moroccan laws and prison regulations.
According to the DGAPR, there are currently 662 prisoners detained in connection with the protests. They are being held across 52 prisons throughout the country and receive the same rights and services as other inmates.
The delegation said the detainees have access to medical care, family visits, outdoor exercise, books, and prison shops. It also noted that 108 prisoners are continuing their education or vocational training. Among them, 13 are enrolled in university, 20 in secondary school, 40 in middle school, six in primary school, and 29 in vocational training programs.
The statement also rejected claims that the protesters were being housed with prisoners convicted of serious crimes. It explained that inmates are assigned to prison facilities according to legal classification rules. Of the 662 detainees, 567 are being prosecuted on felony charges, while 95 face misdemeanor charges.
The prison authority also denied allegations involving an inmate identified by the initials M.K., who is being held at Ain Sebaa 1 prison. It said he has never been assaulted or filed any complaint about mistreatment and receives medical care whenever needed.
In addition, the DGAPR dismissed claims that another prisoner was attacked following a dispute over telephone use, calling the allegation false. It said prison authorities had received no reports of such an incident and stressed that any disciplinary violations inside prisons are handled according to Moroccan law.
The delegation said similar claims had been published in the past by what it described as “irresponsible” individuals and websites, and that it had already responded with detailed information about the conditions of detention, including the case of the inmate mentioned in the recent posts.
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The DGAPR warned against spreading what it called false and misleading information, particularly allegations of torture and ill-treatment. It said it may take legal action against those responsible if such claims continue.
The detainees referred to in the statement were arrested following the wave of demonstrations widely known on social media as the Gen Z protests. The protests began in September 2025 after online calls encouraged mostly young Moroccans to take to the streets over health and education grievances, unemployment, and broader social and economic concerns.
Moroccan authorities made hundreds of arrests from the early stages of the protests, which started peacefully before some demonstrations later escalated into clashes with security forces in certain cities. Protests included incidents involving vandalism and damage to public and private property, leading to additional arrests.
Since then, families, activists, and human rights organizations have repeatedly called for the release of the detainees, arguing that many were arrested for simply participating in protests or expressing their views.
There have also been growing calls for King Mohammed VI to grant a royal pardon to those imprisoned in connection with the protests, particularly ahead of national occasions when royal pardons are traditionally issued.
