Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi temporarily released from prison

The outspoken artist was detained in mid-July for ‘insulting a constitutional institution’.Published On 1 Aug 20261 Aug 2026The politically outspoken Moroccan rapper and filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi has been granted a provisional release from prison in Casablanca, Morocco, after being detained for 18 days.A judge granted El Youbi’s request for provisional release on Friday, according to a statement from a group of his supporters shared with Al Jazeera.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4The Arab Spring hasn’t ended, and Arab regimes know itlist 2 of 4Global system of human rights in ‘peril’, warns HRW in its annual reportlist 3 of 4Prominent Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet released from custodylist 4 of 4Outspoken Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi arrested in Casablancaend of list“He will not return to Oukacha Prison, where he had been held since 15 July. While we are extremely happy to know that he has been provisionally released, we are now waiting for his next hearing on 2 October 2026,” the statement said.“As things stand, Mehdi is still being prosecuted under Article 179 of the Moroccan Penal Code for ‘insulting a constitutional institution.’ He still faces a sentence of si...