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Marrakech – A Moroccan appeals court in Rabat confirmed the 30-month prison sentence for feminist activist Ibtissame “Betty” Lachgar on Monday, rejecting her appeal in a case that has drawn international criticism.
The 50-year-old clinical psychologist was convicted on blasphemy charges after posting a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt with the words “Allah is lesbian” on social media.
The controversial post, which sparked uproar online, was accompanied by text describing Islam “like any religious ideology” as “fascist, phallocratic and misogynistic.”
In addition to the prison term, Lachgar was fined MAD 50,000 ($5,000). Her sister, Sihar Lachgar, broke into tears when the verdict was announced in the courtroom, according to AFP.
During the trial, Lachgar told the judge that the message on her T-shirt was a feminist slogan that had existed for years against sexism and violence against women, and “had nothing to do with Islam in particular.”
Her defense team noted that she had posted the same photo previously, including in May 2025, without causing controversy. Appearing weakened in court with an arm brace, Lachgar emphasized her innocence, denying any intention to undermine religion.
The French news agency reports that her lawyers plan to submit a request for an alternative penalty and will file an appeal before a higher court. Under Moroccan law, such alternatives could include house arrest or public service.
They had previously requested her release on medical grounds. According to her lawyers, Lachgar needs “critical surgery on her left arm,” and her doctors “warned of amputation if the surgery is not carried out.”
“It’s a black day for freedom in Morocco,” attorney Ghizlane Mamouni told AFP with visible emotion after the hearing, calling the court’s decision a “disaster.” She had argued for Lachgar’s acquittal or, at a minimum, a substitute sentence that would allow her to receive medical care.
“We don’t understand why she doesn’t qualify for alternative penalties. She is perfectly eligible. She hasn’t committed any dangerous crime and isn’t dangerous to society. She has only expressed herself,” Mamouni stated.
The prosecution had requested the conviction be upheld and the sentence increased, arguing that Lachgar’s post threatened public order and the “spiritual well-being of Moroccans.”
Morocco’s penal code, specifically Article 267-5, punishes “anyone who offends the Islamic religion” with up to two years in prison. The sentence can be increased to five years if the offense is committed in public, “including by electronic means.”
The case has drawn international attention. Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Moroccan authorities to “urgently overturn” Lachgar’s sentence, describing it as “a huge blow to free speech.”
At the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session, Kacem El Ghazzali, representing the Center for Inquiry, condemned Morocco’s decision. “What is Ibtissame Lachgar’s crime? Did she embezzle public funds? No. Did she assault anyone? No,” he declared. “Her crime is simply challenging religious authority through an expressive act.”
Lachgar co-founded the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (MALI) in 2009 and has led several high-profile campaigns against violence against women and child abuse.
Her activism has included organizing a “Ramadan picnic” in 2009, protesting Morocco’s law against publicly breaking fast, and a “kiss-in” outside Parliament in 2013, supporting teenagers prosecuted for posting a kissing photo on Facebook.
“She expressed an opinion, you can agree with her or not,” said Hakim Sikouk, president of the Rabat section of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), “but this heavy sentence violates her freedom of expression.”
According to El Ghazzali, this case represents part of a broader pattern of restrictions on free speech. “These are not isolated incidents but systematic attacks on freedom of expression,” he asserted, urging Morocco to abolish blasphemy laws.
