A Moroccan feminist was jailed for 30 months for wearing a T-shirt deemed blasphemous, sparking outrage from rights groups.
A Moroccan court has sentenced feminist activist Ibtissame Lachgar to 30 months in prison for “offending Islam” after she posted an image of herself in a controversial T-shirt.
The 50-year-old psychologist, known for her outspoken campaigns on women’s rights, was arrested last month after uploading a photo wearing a shirt that read “Allah” in Arabic followed by “is lesbian.”
On Wednesday, a court in Rabat convicted her and imposed a fine of 50,000 dirhams ($5,500). Her lawyer, Mohamed Khattab, confirmed the ruling but pledged to appeal.
Family and supporters wept outside the courtroom, according to AFP. Human rights organizations denounced the judgment, calling it a violation of free expression. Hakim Sikouk, president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, described it as “shocking” and an “attack on freedom of expression.”
Defending herself earlier, Lachgar argued the phrase was a feminist slogan “which has existed for years against sexist ideologies and violence against women… and has no connection to the Islamic faith.”