In Morocco, Royalist Authorities Silence Critical Rap Lyrics

El Mahdi Lyoubi, aka Mehdi Black Wind, the Moroccan filmmaker and rapper, is currently being held in pretrial detention in Casablanca’s Oukacha prison, charged with defaming the king. His arrest has provoked international outrage, with multiple open letters signed by artists, filmmakers, and rappers, a viral social media campaign, and demonstrations in twelve cities calling for his immediate release. Mehdi, a star of the Moroccan underground, is thought to be being singled out for the content…