Morocco: One year after GenZ 212, families demand the release of hundreds of young people

Mothers and relatives of imprisoned young people gathered on September 26, 2026, in Rabat at the headquarters of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) to demand the release of their children arrested during the GenZ 212 movement protests, according to H24Info and AFP. The gathering comes one year after the birth of this protest movement, the largest the kingdom has seen in a decade.

According to the AMDH, cited by the site AfricActu, approximately 650 people remain in detention one year after the events. The organization and support collectives are using the slogan "Free Koulchi" — "free them all" — to call for a general amnesty. Human Rights Watch, again according to the same source, estimates the number of arrests during the protests at nearly 2,100, and the number of people prosecuted at at least 1,400, including 330 minors.

A movement born on social media

GenZ 212 emerged at the end of September 2025 on social media, without a declared party or leadership. Its demands focused on the state of public hospitals, the quality of schools, and the fight against corruption: a youth movement demanding less spending on prestige projects and more on basic services. Several nights of clashes followed the initial marches, particularly in the south of the country, and lives were lost, according to the Moroccan press, whose reports vary.

Moroccan authorities claim to have respected the rights of the defense and the presumption of innocence, and reiterate that the prosecutions target property damage, arson, and violence against law enforcement, reports the site Entrevue. Between June and September 2026, the courts handed down convictions, but also acquittals, releases, and suspended sentences. No official count of the number of detainees still incarcerated has been published.

What this case says about Africa in 2026

The issue extends beyond Morocco's borders. From Antananarivo to Nairobi and Lagos, generations born with mobile phones have taken to the streets over the last two years to demand accountability from their governments. The way a state treats these young people — through fair trials and dialogue, or through prolonged detention — will say a great deal about the strength of its institutions.

The families gathered in Rabat are primarily asking for clarity on the fate of minors and those still awaiting trial. The next stage will play out before the appellate courts and, potentially, through a gesture of royal clemency that collectives have been calling for for months.