The arbitrary detention of hundreds of gen Z protesters in Morocco and alleged “horrific” beatings have been condemned by human rights groups, as the country prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
A wave of youth-led demonstrations swept across Morocco in late September and early October—the biggest since the 2011 Arab spring—in protest at underfunded healthcare and education.
The government responded to the protests, known as “Gen Z 212”, after the country’s dialling code, by arbitrarily arresting thousands of people, human rights groups said.
As Morocco prepared to host the African Cup of Nations, there were renewed reports of unrest in several Moroccan cities, with protesters demanding the release of detained gen Z demonstrators.
But Moroccan human rights groups said many young people remained fearful of returning to the streets again because of the alleged beatings and forced confessions after the September and October protests.
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