Mayor urges return of Catalan jailed in Morocco for sharing videos on Rifian independence

A campaign has been launched to urge Moroccan authorities to return Zouhir Ainaaissa to Catalonia.  

The 36-year-old resident of Montesquiu in Osona, Central Catalonia has been in a Moroccan jail for around 15 months, convicted of insulting the monarchy.  

In 2018, he shared a Facebook post (not written or recorded by him) about the independence movement in the Rif, a mountainous area in the north of Morrocco. In 2022, upon visiting Morrocco on a Spanish passport, he was detained and sentenced to two years in jail. 

"Flagrant violation of freedom of expression" 

Zouhir has been living in Catalonia for more than two decades, working as a refrigeration installation technician and raising a family. 

Last summer the family went on holiday to Morocco, Fatima, Zouhir's wife, tells the Catalan News Agency (ACN). When he tried to leave the country at the end of the holiday, Zouhir was detained under the false pretext of an outstanding fine. 

Lawyer Marc Serra is clear: "It is a flagrant violation of freedom of expression," he says, pointing out the videos were shared while Zouhir was sitting on the couch at home in Catalonia. 

"It's not that they did not let him enter," Serra says. "They allowed him into the country, they put him in prison, did a quick trial, and sentenced him to two years for insulting the monarchy." 

No state can consider Zouhir's actions an "attack on its security," Serra says, adding that he is not an activist, nor has he written or produced content himself on social networks, instead he "limited himself to sharing some content" on the "political conflict in the Rif, his place of origin." 

Fatima says the accusations made by Morocco against her husband are "false" and that he has never joined any activist group. 

The authorities arrested him without telling them the reason, she says. "We didn't find out until they took him to Casablanca." 

Little contact 

Fatima and the couple's two children, aged 3 and 5, have visited Zouhir three times – meeting him in a common room for 15 minutes. It's the only possible contact they have with him, since they are not allowed to call or write. 

It is a long journey from Catalonia to Morocco, Fatima says, and once there, they have a six-hour drive to get to the prison. With a small baby, it's not easy. 

Serra argues the arrangement "violates UN recommendations for foreign prisoners and prisoners with minor children." 

Having already served more than half of his sentence, they are fighting for Zouhir to be transferred to Catalonia. 

"It is nothing exceptional," Serra says, pointing out that he has no criminal record. 

They are working on two avenues: to obtain conditional release and to transfer him in accordance with the bilateral agreement between Spain and Morocco. 

According to the lawyer, "he meets all the requirements: Spanish nationality, a two-year sentence and he has paid all the fines imposed on him," specifically, one fine of around €1,000. 

Campaign 

Zouhir's family and lawyer have started a campaign to get support from institutions, political parties and organizations such as Amnesty International, who have begun to study the case. 

Montesquiu Town Council has joined the cause, mayor Carles Colomo explains: "We presented a motion at the local council, first to show our support for the family, and second to denounce what happened, which we found very unjust." 

He draws parallels between Zouhir's actions and those of many Catalans posting about independence online. 

Colomo expresses disbelief that a person in Montesquiu "can share something on social media about independence for Rif, as so many of us have done about independence for Catalonia," and subsequently "travel to another country and be arrested for doing that." 

A few days ago, all parties on the local council unanimously approved a motion demanding Zouhir's release and sent it to the consulate and the Catalan and Spanish governments. 

"There has been no response yet," the mayor says. "If he cannot be released, then at least he should be returned to Catalonia," he adds.