Update – September 3, 2025: Today, a Moroccan court sentenced Ibtissame Lachgar to 30 months in prison and a fine of 50,000 dirhams (approximately USD 5,560) for wearing a simple T-shirt. Her health is fragile, she needs urgent surgery, and every day behind bars brings her closer to irreversible danger. We must step up our efforts – sign and share without delay.

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In Morocco, a woman now sits behind bars  – prosecuted in detention under Article 267.5 of the Penal Code and facing up to five years in prison – not for harming anyone, not for stealing, not for violence, but for wearing a t-shirt.

Ibtissame Lachgar, a feminist, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist specializing in criminology, and long-time human rights activist, was arrested after posting a photo of herself wearing a shirt with the slogan “Allah is lesbian.” She also shared a post criticizing oppression in the name of religion.

Let’s be clear: the word “lesbian” is not an insult. It is a simple, truthful term describing a woman who loves other women. It harms no one. To treat it as “offensive to the divine” reveals the deep prejudice behind the implementation of Morocco’s blasphemy laws – laws that punish free expression with prison sentences. These laws are being used to treat a sexual orientation as an insult – an absurd and discriminatory interpretation that criminalizes identity itself.

Within days of her post, Ibtissame was flooded with hate: thousands of rape and death threats, calls for lynching and stoning, and a tidal wave of online harassment. Then, instead of protecting her, authorities arrested her and are pushing forward with prosecution under these dangerous laws – laws that should not exist in any modern society.

Blasphemy laws don’t protect religion, they weaponise it. These laws turn peaceful speech, satire, or identity into “crimes,” creating a climate where people fear expressing who they are or what they believe. They silence dissent, target minorities, and stifle honest conversation. In Morocco, they especially endanger women and LGBT+ people, who already face stigma and criminalization. By punishing a harmless, widely known feminist slogan, these laws reveal themselves not as tools for protecting faith, but as weapons for policing thought and identity.

This is about more than one person’s t-shirt. It’s about whether people can speak freely without fear of prison or violence. It’s about defending the right to challenge oppression – even when it makes those in power uncomfortable.

By signing this petition, you are telling Moroccan authorities that free expression is a right, not a crime. You are standing with Ibtissame, and with every person silenced for daring to speak out.

We don’t have much time. Each day she remains in custody, her safety is at risk. Add your name now and help make this a turning point – not just for Ibtissame, but for human rights in Morocco and beyond.