Rapper and outspoken political filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi has been released on bail by a court in Casablanca, Morocco, after 18 days in detention. The decision was made on Friday (August 1), according to an announcement from his supporters.
In a statement shared with Al Jazeera, the support group said: "He will not return to Oukacha prison, where he has been held since July 15. We are overjoyed to learn he has been released on bail, but we are now awaiting his next hearing on October 2, 2026."
El Youbi remains charged under Article 179 of Morocco's Penal Code for "insulting a constitutional institution." He could face a sentence of six months to two years in prison, along with a fine ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 dirhams (approximately $2,150–$21,500).
El Youbi, known by his stage name Mehdi Black Wind, was arrested in Casablanca a few days after being banned from returning to France, where he had lived since 2017. Supporters say the arrest is linked to his artistic views and social media posts.
El Youbi rose to prominence in the early 2010s, alongside the Arab Spring movement, with songs featuring politically charged lyrics that drew the attention of authorities.
Investigative journalist and human rights activist Omar Radi, who was previously imprisoned for criticizing a judge, earlier told Al Jazeera that El Youbi is "the most outspoken and direct politically minded rapper" in Morocco.
At the time of El Youbi's arrest, a supporter suggested the move reflected "increased repression linked to the Gen Z movement" — a youth-led protest movement that emerged last year in Morocco demanding improved health services and educational reforms.
In the statement, El Youbi's supporters also noted that "600 people" remain detained since autumn 2025, "with some sentences of up to 15 years in prison." In October, the Moroccan Human Rights Association also recorded 600 people imprisoned for participating in protests.
El Youbi appeared before a judge in Casablanca on Friday without a lawyer, due to a strike by lawyers in Morocco, which worried his supporters. However, they said a "wave of solidarity" following the arrest, with protests in several Moroccan cities, Europe, and North America, contributed to his release on bail.
