Ali Lmrabet regained his freedom on Wednesday, July 15, following a hearing before the public prosecutor. The prosecutor decided to release him after his July 12 arrest at Tangier airport. According to the King’s prosecutor’s statement, his confiscated belongings—two laptops, a storage device, and a mobile phone—were returned. However, the investigation is ongoing, and technical examinations will be conducted, with “appropriate legal measures” to follow.

Upon regaining his freedom, Ali Lmrabet provided RSF with a candid account: “I am a journalist, not a politician. I am independent—free from any party or ideology—and I adhere to internationally recognized journalistic standards. I have never been convicted of defamation, slander, or harming individuals, whether in France, Spain, or Morocco. The mere fact that I practice independent journalism—one that challenges certain state or security structures—seems to trouble many. But this is my profession; I earn my living from it, and I am committed to professional journalism.”

His wife, Laura Feliu, also shared her reaction with RSF: “We believe the prosecutor made the right decision. This arrest was unfounded and unlawful, even under Moroccan law, given the circumstances—particularly since the alleged offenses were said to have occurred outside Moroccan territory. We now hope this case is definitively closed so Ali can fully regain his freedom and travel in and out of the country freely, as any Moroccan citizen should.”

Ali Lmrabet, a prominent figure in critical journalism, was arrested on July 12 at Tangier airport and transferred the following day to the National Brigade of Judicial Police in Casablanca. He was placed in police custody as part of an investigation into “alleged dissemination of digital content deemed defamatory to individuals and institutions.”

Morocco currently ranks 105th out of 180 countries in the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index.