Mouad Belaghouat ( ar, معاذ بلغوات; born in 1988), better known as L7a9d or El Haqed (), is a Moroccan rapper and human rights activist who rose to prominence when he was imprisoned for criticising
Mohammed VI Muhammad VI may refer to:
* Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI (1868–1932), sultan of the Maldives from 1893 to 1902
* Mehmed VI (1861–1926), sultan of Ottoman Empire, from 1918 to 1922
* Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI ( ar, محمد الساد ...
, the king of Morocco.
After two years in prison, he was released in 2013. In February 2014, he issued the album ''Waloo''.
[
On 13 February 2014, the police raided a library where Belaghouat was holding a press conference, in which he intended to present his new album.]
Third imprisonment
On 18 May 2014, L7a9d was arrested again at the entrance of the Mohamed V Stadium
The Mohammed V Stadium ( ar, ملعب محمد الخامس, french: Stade Mohammed V) is a multi-purpose stadium which is part of the Mohammed V Athletic Complex () which is named after King Mohammed V and situated at the heart of Casablanca, M ...
in Casablanca.[ He was trying to attend a game between ]Raja Casablanca
Raja Club Athletic ( ar, نادي الرجاء الرياضي, Nādī ar-Rajāʾ ar-Riyāḍī, zgh, ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵏ ⵕⴰⵊⴰ ⴰⵎⴰⵏⵓⵏ), commonly referred to as Raja CA, Raja Casablanca or simply RCA is a professional Footb ...
and Moghreb Tetouan
The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...
, and police officers arrested him, claiming he was selling tickets on the black market, an accusation which he denied. Additionally, the police pressed charges against him for allegedly beating four officers during the event.European United Left–Nordic Green Left
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...
for the Sakharov Prize
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, commonly known as the Sakharov Prize, is an honorary award for individuals or groups who have dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought. Named after Russian scientis ...
, along with Tunisian rapper Weld El 15
Weld El 15, real name Ala Edine Yacoubi, is a Tunisia, Tunisian rapper. Ala is born in 1988 in Tunis. At the age of 15, he started to write his first texts under the pseudonym "Weld El 15".
Controversies
In June 2013 he was given a two-year prison ...
and Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah. The following month, the nomination was withdrawn after controversy over some 2012 tweets by Abd El-Fattah at the time of Israel's bombing of Gaza.[Joel Benin]
Can Arabs be Human Rights Defenders?
''Jadaliyya
''Jadaliyya'' ("dialectic") is an independent ezine founded in 2010 by the Arab Studies Institute (ASI) to cover the Arab World and the broader Middle East. It publishes articles in Arabic, French, English and Turkish, and is run primarily on a ...
'', 10 October 2014
References
{{Human rights in Morocco
Moroccan rappers
1988 births
Living people
Moroccan prisoners and detainees
People from Casablanca
Moroccan activists
Moroccan democracy activists