Ibtissam Lachgar’s request for release denied

A court in Rabat on Wednesday rejected a request from the defense team of activist Ibtissam Lachgar to grant her provisional release.

Attorney Naima El Klaf told Hespress  AR that the court formally refused the request after reviewing it, in line with a recommendation from the public prosecutor.

Lachgar, who remains in detention on charges of “insulting the divine entity,” has been at the center of controversy since her arrest earlier this month. Her lawyers had argued that her critical health condition warranted her release, citing her battle with cancer and the need for urgent surgery on her left arm.

The case has drawn significant attention from rights advocates in Morocco and abroad, who view it as a test of freedom of expression in the country.