Magharebia (Washington DC)

Morocco: Jailed Moroccan Rapper Receives Prize

6 January 2013
Photo: IFEX
Rapper Mouad Belghouat

Transparency Morocco on Saturday (January 5th) honoured imprisoned rapper Mouad Belghouat for his efforts to build an "integrated and transparent society", AFP quoted the NGO's president as saying.

Organisation head Mohammed Sadok presented the award to the singer's father.

Belghouat, known as "El-Haqed", was arrested over a YouTube video set to his song "Kilab al-Dawla" (Dogs of the State), which denounces police corruption. Last May, he was sentenced to one year in prison.

He has denied any connection to the video.

The 24-year-old hip-hop artist and member of Morocco's youth activist group M20F is known for songs that focus on injustice and inequality.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked Moroccan authorities to "overturn the charges" against the rapper.

  • Comment

Copyright © 2013 Magharebia. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 130 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

Comments Post a comment

InFocus

Jailed Moroccan Rapper On 'Hunger Strike'

picture

Hip-hop artist and youth activist, Mouad Belghouat, who was jailed for a video allegedly insulting the police has protested the conditions of his detention by going on a hunger ... Read more »