Moroccan Rapper Mehdi El Youbi Freed Ahead of October Hearing

Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi, known as Mehdi Black Wind, was granted provisional release on 1 August 2026 after 18 days in Casablanca's Oukacha Prison. He faces charges of insulting a constitutional institution under Article 179, punishable by six months to two years. Rights group FIDH called his detention arbitrary. His next hearing is 2 October 2026.