Morocco arrests campaigners behind election boycott movement days before vote

Moroccan authorities have detained members of a left-wing political party campaigning for a boycott of the country's upcoming parliamentary elections, days before voters head to the polls on 23 September.

At least six members of the Democratic Labour Way Party, known in Arabic as Annahj Addimocrati Al-Oummali, were detained in the city of Kenitra while distributing leaflets urging people not to vote, according to Moroccan media reports.

The activists were taken to a police station for questioning before being released, while the leaflets in their possession were confiscated, reports said.

Four other party members were detained in Beni Mellal on 12 September in connection with leaflets calling for an election boycott. They were reportedly questioned by the Royal Gendarmerie as part of an investigation overseen by prosecutors before being released.

The party has also reported authorities intervening against its boycott activities in other cities, including Casablanca, Tangier and Al Hoceima.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) said on Saturday that arrests had taken place in Beni Mellal and Kenitra, while party activists had faced restrictions in Casablanca, Salé, Tangier and Al Hoceima. The rights group described the measures as arbitrary and said peaceful advocacy for an election boycott was protected by freedom of expression.

The party's youth wing separately said that 16 activists had been detained in connection with boycott campaigning by Friday, with another four members in Tangier receiving summonses. Those figures could not be independently verified.

The Democratic Labour Way Party has condemned the campaign of arrests and restrictions against its members and vowed to continue urging Moroccans to boycott the election.

The party formally announced in June that it would boycott the 23 September parliamentary elections, arguing that the vote lacked the minimum conditions for a democratic process.

The arrests occurs amid questions in Morocco over the legal limits of campaigning for voters to stay away from the polls.

Morocco recently strengthened electoral legislation covering attempts to influence voters through false information and other deceptive methods.

Under Article 51, using fake news, false rumours or other deceptive tactics to sway voters or convince them to stay home can carry a prison sentence of two to five years and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Moroccan dirhams (around $5,000-$10,000). The rules extend to content spread through social media, online platforms and AI tools.

The government has presented the measures as safeguards against disinformation and manipulation during the election period.

However, the law does not make simply advocating an election boycott a criminal offence.

Moroccan constitutional law researcher Maryam Belil told local outlet Sawt Al Maghrib that abstaining from voting or expressing a political position in favour of an election boycott did not in itself constitute a crime.

She said criminal liability under Article 51 required the use of methods specified by the legislation, such as false information or deceptive practices intended to influence voters.

The detentions come amid wider concern over political disengagement ahead of Wednesday's vote, particularly among young Moroccans.

Only around 3% of Moroccans aged 18 to 24 are registered to vote, according to Reuters, amid widespread frustration over unemployment and distrust of political institutions.