Young Moroccan entrepreneur’s livestreams suicide attempt, sparks solidarity campaign

A shocking Facebook live suicide attempt has sparked a large solidarity campaign among Moroccans this weekend, centering around young entrepreneur Otmane Barakat, who claimed local Ifrane authorities forced him to go bankrupt.

Barakat, a graduate of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, opened a restaurant in the city to help finance his studies. Named “Foodie,” the restaurant was a popular local spot, according to clients, and garnered “stellar reviews.”

According to the young entrepreneur, following many obstacles, he was subjected to “the intimidation of powerful competitors and local authorities,” adding that aside from being a strong competition in the restoration field in the city, he is also “discriminated against for being an outsider.”

Back in April this year, a local sanitary delegation visited Barakat’s restaurant for an inspection, which according to the young man, “resulted in no unsanitary findings.” But the young man was surprised to see his restaurant’s license suspended after the inspection, for “breaching health and hygiene requirements.”

In Morocco, routine sanitary inspections of restaurants and hospitality establishments are executed routinely and randomly, or after authorities receive complaints alleging the restaurant is unsanitary. Since the suspension of Foodie’s license, Barakat has demanded the prosecutor open an investigation on why the suspension occurred, assuring that there was no basis for this decision.

The young man started documenting his journey, calling for locals’ and Al Akhawayn alumni’s support in videos posted to his Youtube channel, where he detailed his journey from arriving in Ifrane as a student from Laayoune, south of Morocco, to his ongoing struggles with authorities, calling for King Mohammed VI’s support and the intervention of national authorities.

After months of being unable to pay his dues to suppliers and banks, Barakat’s business has gone bankrupt, as he waited for authorities to grant him a new license to reopen business. This week, the young entrepreneur was told his license will not be renewed.

Desperate and insolvent, Barakat live-streamed his suicide attempt from a hotel room, branding a sign that reads: “Ifrane authorities murdered me,” before people rushed in to save him from what seemed to be imminent death.

Currently, Barakat is in a hospital recovering from the attempt on his life, while the virtual campaign supporting him and his business grows, under the hashtags #Justice4Foodie and #JusticeforOtmaneBarakat.