PUBLIC BRIEFING: CALLS TO FREE BETTY DURING 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM 2025

November 25 – December 10, 2025

 Help Free Ibtissame Betty Lachgar

As we enter the global 16 Days of Activism against sex-based violence, the Free Betty Coalition is calling on the public to help secure the release of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, a Moroccan feminist and human rights defender imprisoned for a peaceful act of expression. The coalition represents hundreds of organisations representing hundreds of thousands of people.

Betty was arrested on 10 August 2025 in Morocco for posting a photograph, taken in London, in which she wore a T-shirt reading “Allah is Lesbian,” an appropriation of a famous anti-racist feminist slogan. She was sentenced to 30 months in prison under Article 267-5 and fined.

By 10 December—International Human Rights Day—Betty will have spent 122 days in prison for a peaceful act of expression carried out outside Morocco.  Since her imprisonment, Betty has been held in conditions that pose a grave and escalating threat to her health and safety. A bone cancer survivor with a prosthetic left arm, she urgently requires specialised surgery. Instead, her condition has deteriorated so severely that her humerus bone has now completely detached — a development that significantly increases the risk of amputation. Despite this, she continues to be denied the medical care her doctors consider essential. Betty is also held in prolonged isolation, without a mattress or pillow, forced to sleep on blankets placed directly on concrete in a cold cell with a broken window. Such treatment falls far below the minimum standards required under international law and violates Morocco’s obligations regarding the right to health, humane detention conditions and freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

  1. Sign the Petitions to Free Betty and Publicise her case

Amplify her case across your social media platforms and sign the petitions available on freebetty.org.

  1. Letter-Writing Push (Between November 25-December 10)

Write to the Moroccan embassy in your country and to your elected representatives urging Betty’s release and humane treatment. Sample letters which you can adapt or share with members follows below.

You can find contact details of some Moroccan embassies and government officials here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JZwbGq7yFWo4u7Cgy_BfXfvCr-8dqdxZO73SPi3-RMM/edit?usp=sharing.

Moroccan Embassies/Consulates:

Embassies relay concerns directly to Rabat. A coordinated international wave of letters creates diplomatic pressure that is difficult to ignore. Key points to include in your letter:

  • Express concern about the 30-month sentence for peaceful expression.
  • The photo was taken in London, outside Morocco.
  • Betty is a bone cancer survivor whose bone is now completely detached, creating a real risk of amputation.
  • She is being denied essential, specialised medical care.
  • She has no mattress, sleeps on concrete, and is in isolation.
  • Urge Morocco to respect its obligations under the ICCPR and Mandela Rules.
  • Call for her immediate release, end to isolation, urgent access to surgery, and repeal of Article 267-5.

Keep it respectful, factual and firm.

SAMPLE LETTER TO MOROCCAN EMBASSIES

Subject: Human Rights Day Appeal – Immediate Action Required for Ibtissame Betty Lachgar

Dear Ambassador

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the continued imprisonment and deteriorating health of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, sentenced to 30 months in prison for posting a photograph, taken in London, of herself wearing a T-shirt reading “Allah is Lesbian,” an appropriation of a feminist slogan in defence of human rights.

Ms Lachgar is a bone cancer survivor whose humerus bone is now completely detached, placing her at real risk of amputation. She has been denied specialised medical treatment, including the urgent surgery recommended by her doctors. She is held in isolation, without a mattress, sleeping on blankets laid on concrete.

These conditions are incompatible with Morocco’s obligations under the ICCPR and the UN Mandela Rules, which require access to adequate medical care and humane treatment.

I urge your government to:

  • Release Ms Lachgar immediately and unconditionally
  • Apply alternative penalties as available under Moroccan law
  • End her isolation and ensure she has basic bedding and humane conditions
  • Provide urgent, specialised medical care, including surgery
  • Repeal Article 267-5 and all laws restricting peaceful expression

I make this appeal in the hope that Morocco will uphold its international commitments and protect Ms Lachgar’s life and dignity.

Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[City/Country]

 WRITE TO YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES

Your elected representatives can:

  • Request action from the country’s Foreign Minister
  • Raise the case in Parliament / Congress
  • Make direct inquiries to Moroccan authorities
  • Issue public statements
  • Help secure medical monitoring or diplomatic observation

Ask your representative to:

  1. Raise Betty’s case with the Foreign Ministry immediately.
  2. Urge diplomatic pressure on Morocco for her immediate and unconditional release.
  3. Press for urgent specialised medical treatment, including surgery.
  4. Seek explanations for the prosecution of an act of expression carried out abroad.
  5. Request monitoring of her detention conditions, including isolation and lack of bedding.
  6. Press Morocco to repeal laws criminalising peaceful expression.

 SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE

Subject: Human Rights Day Appeal – Please Urgently Raise the Case of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar

Dear [Title + Name],

Ahead of Human Rights Day, I am writing to ask for your urgent assistance regarding the case of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, a Moroccan feminist and human rights defender imprisoned for a peaceful act of expression.

Ms Lachgar was sentenced to 30 months in prison for posting a photograph taken in London wearing a T-shirt reading “Allah is Lesbian,” an appropriation of a feminist slogan in support of human rights.

Since 10 August 2025, she has been held in isolation without a mattress, sleeping on concrete, and denied specialised medical care despite being a bone cancer survivor. Her humerus bone is now completely detached, and doctors warn of imminent risk of amputation without surgery.

Her arrest and imprisonment contravene Morocco’s obligations under the ICCPR and Mandela Rules.

I respectfully request that you:

  1. Raise Ms Lachgar’s case with the Foreign Minister as a matter of urgency
  2. Urge diplomatic pressure on Morocco for her immediate and unconditional release
  3. Request that Morocco facilitate urgent surgical and specialised medical care
  4. Seek clarification on the prosecution of an act of expression carried out in London
  5. Encourage monitoring of her health, conditions of detention and safety
  6. Support international calls for Morocco to revise laws criminalising peaceful expression

Your intervention could help save her arm and her life.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]
[Email]

  1. Join Mattress Action on December 10 (Human Rights Day)

To highlight that Betty has been forced to sleep on concrete for more than 120 days, we will bring mattresses and bedding to Moroccan embassies/consulates on December 10th. This stark, simple image communicates cruelty and neglect in a way no statement can. If you can participate—or organise an action in your own city—please inform us as soon as possible so we can coordinate, support, and amplify your event. Confirmed actions so far: Paris, London, Los Angeles.

Thank you for standing with Betty during these critical days.

In solidarity,

Siham Lachgar • Haram Doodles • Maryam Namazie • Shelley Segal

The Free Betty Campaign Coordination Team