Rabat – Moroccan-Jewish human rights defender and outspoken anti-normalization activist Sion Assidon has died at the age of 77, friends and relatives announced on Thursday.
Assidon, who was in a coma for nearly three months, died after his health deteriorated earlier this week due to a severe lung infection, according to a statement issued by his close circle.
“The infection returned with greater intensity, and despite all medical efforts, it proved fatal,” they said, expressing gratitude to the medical team for its dedication.
The statement added that in recent weeks, Assidon had shown signs of improvement, occasionally opening his eyes and attempting to communicate, but his condition ultimately worsened.
His friends called for clarity regarding the circumstances that led to his death, urging that the results of the ongoing investigation be supported by forensic medical reports.
They also noted that three lawyers had accompanied them in a recent visit to the Public Prosecutor at the Casablanca Court of Appeal to reiterate this request.
Assidon was a central figure in Morocco’s left-wing and human rights movements.
He spent 12 years in prison between 1972 and 1984 during years of lead on charges of undermining state security.
Assidon was known for his staunch defense of the Palestinian cause and his outspoken denunciation of Israel’s bloody genocide on Gaza.
In 2005, he co-founded the anti-corruption association Transparency Maroc, and in 2010, launched the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS).
Friends and colleagues described him as a man of conviction who “never compromised his beliefs” and who continued to fight for justice until his final days.
