Mouad Belaghouat (; 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, 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 () is a multi-purpose stadium which is named after Mohammed V of Morocco, King Mohammed V and situated at the heart of Casablanca, Morocco, in the western part of the Maârif neighborhood. The stadium has a seating capacity ...
in Casablanca.[ He was trying to attend a game between ]Raja Casablanca
Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football team, football club based in Casablanca, Morocco, that competes in Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football league system, Moroccan football.
Founded on 20 M ...
and Moghreb Tetouan, 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
The Left in the European Parliament (The Left) is a left-wing political group of the European Parliament established in 1995. Prior to January 2021 it was named the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (, GUE/NGL).
The group is mainly compos ...
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 scienti ...
, along with Tunisian rapper Weld El 15 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 The following month, the nomination was withdrawn after controversy over some 2012 tweets by Abd El-Fattah at the time of Israel's bombing of Gaza.[Joel Benin]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 o ...
'', 10 October 2014
References
{{Human rights in Morocco
Moroccan male rappers
1988 births
Living people
Moroccan prisoners and detainees
People from Casablanca
Moroccan human rights activists
Moroccan democracy activists