Association

In November 2025, the Moroccan General Secretariat of the Government (SGG) announced an institutional restructuring affecting the governance of associations, merging previously separate administrative units into a single directorate responsible for overseeing associations, regulated professions, and professional organizations. Presented by SGG Secretary-General Mohamed Hajoui, the reform was framed as a move toward greater administrative efficiency, legal support, and improved coordination with civil society. The restructuring also included plans to revise procedures for granting public-utility status, tighten oversight of public fundraising and foreign funding, and introduce a centralized digital system for registration and reporting. While authorities described the reform as supportive and modernizing, civil society actors warned that the centralization of oversight and increased reporting requirements could reinforce administrative control, slow registration and funding approvals, and negatively affect the practical exercise of freedom of association.

Expression

Following the GenZ212 protests in Morocco in September and October 2025, which saw massive mobilization of young people around social, economic, and living condition-related demands, the movement issued a new statement reaffirming its call for the immediate release of all individuals detained during these demonstrations. It specifically called for a peaceful sit-in on November 4, 2025, at Bab Doukkala Square to demand the release of the protesters still in custody. A report presented by the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) revealed that 2,068 people had been arrested and prosecuted by the Moroccan authorities. Among them, 1,088 were still in detention at the time of the report’s publication, 596 had been released, and 233 had been sentenced, some to very severe terms of up to 15 years in prison. As of today, no precise information is available regarding the current situation of those still detained. One month earlier, the UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres had called on Moroccan authorities to uphold the rule of law and ensure that the rights of protesters were respected, urging the release of those detained and stressing the importance of allowing peaceful demonstrations.

Severe sanctions were adopted on October 19, 2025, by the Council of Ministers under Organic Law Project No. 04.21, providing for 2 to 5 years of imprisonment as well as substantial fines for anyone spreading false information intended to cast doubt on the credibility of elections. The project was subsequently publicly defended by the Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, on November 12, 2025, who stated that the measure aims to protect the integrity of the electoral process against disinformation. However, this provision has sparked considerable controversy in Morocco, with some political figures calling for the article’s withdrawal, arguing that it could restrict freedom of expression and prevent legitimate criticism of election results.

In December 2025, the Parliament adopted Organic Law Project No. 026.25, reforming the National Press Council and granting it new powers over journalists and media outlets. The law sparked strong criticism from opposition parties and international NGOs, who warned it could limit freedom of expression, reduce media pluralism, and give the government excessive influence over the press. In January 2026, the Constitutional Court invalidated several provisions, ruling that they violated constitutional guarantees of press freedom and pluralism, highlighting ongoing concerns about the protection of independent journalism in Morocco.

Human Rights and Political Developments in Western Sahara

On 3 November 2025, following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797 on 31 October 2025, the Organisation Marocaine des Droits Humains (OMDH) issued a statement emphasizing the centrality of human rights in the Western Sahara context. OMDH highlighted that any political process, including the autonomy framework endorsed by the UN, must fully respect the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of the Sahrawi population. The organisation also stressed the importance of including human rights actors and Sahrawi voices in shaping governance mechanisms linked to the autonomy plan, ensuring that solutions are both participatory and rights-based.

Peaceful Assembly

Ongoing solidarity with Palestinians against the Gaza war and normalization with Israel has been reflected in recent protests in the country. On 29 November 2025, more than 20 professional, associative and civil‑society organizations staged a sit‑in in front of the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.  Earlier, in December 2025, dozens of Moroccans participated in a demonstration in Rabat marking the fifth anniversary of Morocco’s normalization agreement with Israel (December 2020). A month later, on 9 January 2026, hundreds of pro‑Palestinian activists marched in Rabat, opposing Morocco’s normalization with Israel and demanding its reversal, while expressing solidarity amid ongoing Israeli military offensives in Gaza and the West Bank.

Journalists in Morocco have recently expressed strong discontent over increasing restrictions on press freedom and the controversial draft law 026.25, which they fear could undermine media independence. On 28–29 November 2025, around 200 journalists gathered in a public demonstration in Rabat, in front of the Ministry of Communication, to protest these restrictions. They carried signs reading “Journalism is not a crime,” “Dissolve the National Press Council,” and “Withdraw Draft Law 026.25,” highlighting concerns over the media reform bill. The protest was largely triggered by a video leaked by independent journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui on his YouTube channel, showing members of the National Press Council’s disciplinary commission allegedly insulting and humiliating him, which journalists said revealed deeper issues in the regulation of their profession.