Moroccan YouTubers forced to silence

Wearing his signature sunglasses and baseball cap, Mohammed Sekkaki sat down in front of his computer camera to let off some steam. He felt that Mohammed VI, the king ruling his country, Morocco, made big promises that were never kept and his fellow citizens stayed silent while the government abused their rights.  

Sitting next to a shelf of emoji pillows, Sekkaki recorded a witty 12-minute rant and uploaded it to his 330,000 YouTube followers. In the early hours of the following morning, on Nov. 30, the police raided his home in the city of Settat and arrested him.                                                         

Allegedly prompted by citizens’ complaints, the public prosecutor charged Sekkaki, a popular YouTuber known as Moul Kaskita (Hat Guy), for insulting the public, obscene behavior, drug possession and "contempt of constitutional institutions." The authorities framed his arrest as due justice mainly for offending fellow citizens, whom he roasted as “stupid.” His supporters say it was part of a crackdown on mounting criticism of the country’s leadership.

“There are many people on YouTube who insult Moroccans but are not arrested,” rights activist and political science professor Maati Monjib told Al-Monitor. “When people attack the regime in clear manner — and above all when they speak the name of the king or the police — they are arrested, but [the state] finds other reasons to do so.”