Rif Uprising: Six leaders still jailed after a decade

Six prominent leaders of the Hirak movement remain incarcerated as the 28 October 2026 anniversary marks ten years since protests erupted in Morocco's northern Rif mountains.

The unrest began following the death of Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger crushed in a garbage truck on 28 October 2016 while retrieving confiscated catch in Al Hoceima. Demonstrators demanded an end to poverty and regional marginalization. Authorities initially tolerated the gatherings but intensified crackdowns in late May 2017, resulting in hundreds of arrests and labeling the movement separatist.

Nasser Zefzafi, identified as the movement's leader, received a 20 year sentence. Nabil Ahamjik is also serving a 20 year term from his arrest in 2017. His brother, Mohamed, stated that Nabil was motivated by a rejection of 'hogra,' a term referring to humiliation and oppression. While detained in Tangier after multiple prison transfers, Ahamjik completed a master's thesis on the Rif region's relationship with the state, receiving a grade of 18 out of 20. He is now a doctoral student and conducted a 10 day hunger strike last month after authorities denied him adequate workspace for his research.

The crackdown extended beyond local leaders. Said El Amrani, a digital creator and rights activist based in Belgium, reported that at least 11 activists have been detained upon entering Morocco since 2016, with one still in custody. El Amrani noted that the region remains under heavy security, citing the construction of at least five new police stations since the protests began. He also described the circulation of manipulated images of his daughter online as part of a broader effort to suppress the movement.

Historian Maati Monjib described the Hirak as a major social movement since King Mohammed VI ascended the throne in 1999. He argued that officials labeled the protests separatist to discredit them, noting that only a small minority of activists, primarily on social media, voiced such views. The turning point for the movement arrived in July 2017 when riot police used tear gas and batons in Al Hoceima. Imad el Attabi, 22, was severely injured during the dispersal and died the following month, sparking national solidarity demonstrations.

The region continues to face economic pressure despite national growth. Youth unemployment in the Rif stands at 37 percent. Tens of thousands attempted to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this summer, many of them young Moroccans from the region. While the state opened a new university faculty affiliated with the University of Tetouan and a hospital, El Amrani said the medical facility lacks sufficient staff. Last year's Gen Z protests resulted in 6,000 arrests, with approximately 700 individuals, including dozens of minors, still jailed according to the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.