Moroccan authorities detain a human rights activist who accused government of 'blackmailing' France

RABAT, Morocco — A Moroccan economist known for his work defending human rights was detained after criticizing the government in remarks posted on social media during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the North African kingdom.

Prosecutors apprehended Fouad Abdelmoumni in Casablanca on Wednesday and announced he was under investigation on suspicion of disseminating false information and accusing others of crimes on social media, Morocco's state news agency reported. If charged and convicted, he could face up to five years in prison under cybercrime statutes.

''This arbitrary arrest is part of a series of harassments targeting Abdelmoumni, as a measure aimed at retaliating against his bold positions in expressing his opinions and defending human rights,'' the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Prisoners said in a statement Wednesday. ''This arrest represents a further escalation in the authorities' policy of repression against human rights and political activists in the country.''

Abdelmoumni, a former political prisoner, is the group's coordinator.

While Macron toured Rabat with Moroccan leaders including King Mohammed VI, the activist alleged in a post that Morocco was attempting to ''blackmail'' France using methods including espionage and withholding cooperation on managing illegal immigration.

Abdelmoumni is yet to be officially arraigned. When he appears in court on Friday, he will likely be charged with crimes related to the post, one of his attorneys, Souad Brahma, said.

In Morocco, authorities can hold people under investigation for 48 hours without charging them.

Brahma said Abdelmoumni was arrested for expressing his opinion and called his detention a violation of his right to freedom of expression. She said she was denied a chance to visit him on Thursday despite receiving authorization from the court. Officials have not responded to allegations that the arrest was politically motivated.

Macron throughout his visit referred to opening a new chapter in relations between France and Morocco after years of strain.

The causes of friction included the 2021 ''Pegasus Affair," in which Amnesty International and the Paris-based nonprofit group Forbidden Stories published a report alleging that Moroccan authorities had used the Israeli software Pegagus to infiltrate the electronic devices of human rights activists including Abdelmoumni and politicians all the way up to Macron.

Morocco strenuously denied the allegations and sued, claiming defamation.

Abdelmoumni, 66, has been prominent in defending human rights since he was imprisoned and tortured alongside other left-wing activists during King Hassan II's era of repression known as the ''Years of Lead.'' He has publicly supported pro-democracy efforts in the country, including during the Arab Spring and Morocco's 2017 ''Hirak'' movement.

After the investigation into Pegagus software, Abdelmoumni was among the activists profiled in a 2022 Human Rights Watch report on Morocco's targeting of critics.

The report said an anonymous person distributed a video of him and his then-partner-now-wife having sex, likely shot from a hidden camera inside his home's air conditioner. In Morocco, non-marital sex is a crime and information about their relationship later appeared in pro-government media as part of an effort that Abdelmoumni said was designed to intimidate him.

This week, he participated in a vigil demanding justice for a Moroccan nationalist who was ''disappeared'' in France in 1965, and appeared at courthouse where Morocco's ex-human rights minister was facing trial. He was going to a meeting of the Moroccan Association for the Support of Political Prisoners when he was apprehended.

Macron's political party helped push through a 2023 resolution in the European Union's Parliament condemning human rights abuses in Morocco. But the two countries have recently deepened political and economic ties. This week, they announced economic agreements and lucrative contracts on projects ranging from transportation to desalination infrastructure, and Macron reiterated his support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara.

During his three-day visit, Macron did not mention human rights in speeches at a business forum, to the country's French community or at the country's parliament.