PRESS STATEMENT: Hundreds of Organisations Join the Free Betty Coalition to Mark Ibtissame Betty Lachgar’s 100 Days of Imprisonment in Morocco
Goal: 100,000 signatures to Free Betty
For Immediate Release
18 November 2025
Today marks 100 days since Moroccan feminist and human rights defender Ibtissame Betty Lachgar was imprisoned in Rabat, Morocco for posting a photograph of herself wearing an “Allah is Lesbian” T-shirt. Her sentence of 30 months stems solely from an act of peaceful expression defending women’s and LGBT rights made outside Morocco.
To mark the 100 days of imprisonment, hundreds of organisations, representing hundreds of thousands of members from around the world have joined the Free Betty Coalition condemning her conviction and calling for her immediate and unconditional release, humane conditions of detention, access to specialised medical treatment, and the repeal of laws restricting freedom of expression.
As a bone cancer survivor, Betty requires urgent treatment and surgery for her arm and prosthesis, otherwise she risks losing it. Her left elbow is completely dislocated now and she is in constant pain. She remains in isolation in a cold cell with no mattress or pillows, being punished for daring to think freely.
Siham Lachgar, Betty’s sister says:
“Today marks 100 days that my sister, Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, has been imprisoned for thinking, speaking, and living freely in pursuit of a fairer world. One hundred days of isolation, pain, and injustice. Her health is deteriorating. She is exhausted and has lost significant weight. This punishment is not about what she has done, but about who she is and what she represents. In Morocco in 2025, thinking differently can still cost you your freedom. It is not my sister who is on trial. It is freedom itself.”
A global push for 100,000 signatures on 18 November
On 18th November, help us reach 100,000 signatures on the petition to free Betty. Every signature strengthens the call for her release and increases pressure to end her mistreatment.
What you can do
* Post #FreeBetty and #100Days across social media.
* Sign and share the petition and find out more on https://freebetty.org/.
Betty’s case is a symbol of the wider struggle for freedom of conscience, bodily autonomy, and the right to challenge patriarchal norms without fear of reprisal.
30 MONTHS FOR A T-SHIRT
A Global Coalition Demands the Immediate and Unconditional Release of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar on the 100th Day of her Incarceration
We, the undersigned organisations, condemn the conviction and imprisonment of Ibtissame Betty Lachgar, a Moroccan feminist and human rights defender sentenced to 30 months in prison for posting a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt reading “Allah is Lesbian” in London on social media.
She had previously worn the T-shirt in 2022 outside Morocco as a statement against the persecution of lesbian women in Iran. The slogan draws from the historic feminist phrase “I saw God. She is black, communist, and lesbian.”
Betty’s imprisonment since 10 August 2025 represents a grave violation of universal human rights. She is detained solely for the peaceful exercise of her freedom of thought and expression. Her conviction under Article 267-5 of the Moroccan Penal Code contradicts Morocco’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
She has been denied urgent medical treatment and held in isolation, contrary to the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules). Authorities have also failed to address the widespread death and rape threats directed at her.
The Free Betty Coalition urges the Moroccan authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Ibtissame Betty Lachgar.
- Apply alternative penalties available under Moroccan law, such as house arrest or public service.
- Ensure conditions that respect her health and dignity, including an end to isolation and inhumane treatment.
- Provide urgent and adequate specialised medical care, consistent with international standards.
- Repeal Article 267-5 of the Penal Code and all provisions restricting freedom of expression.
Signed:
Action, Culture & Émancipation; Against Illiteracy and Poverty; All Out; Altradimora; Association marocaine des droits humains; Atheist & Agnostic Alliance Pakistan; Atheist Refugee Relief; Black Nonbelievers; Bread and Roses TV; California Freethought Day; Center for Civil Courage; Central Council of Ex-Muslims of Scandinavia; Charlie Hebdo; Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain; Council of Ex-Muslims of Germany; Council of Ex-Muslims of Sri Lanka; De Balie; Det norske Hedningsamfunn; Entre les lignes entre les mots; esSENSE Global India; European Network of Migrant Women; Ex-Muslims International, including 24 organisations; Ex-Muslims of North America; Ex-Muslims of Norway; Ex-Muslims of Toronto; Faithless Hijabi; FEMEN; Féminisme et géopolitique; Feminist Dissent; Femmes Solidaires; FiLiA; Fitnah, Movement for Women’s Liberation; Freedom From Religion Foundation; Freethought Lebanon; Freethought Society; Human Rights Tattoo; Humanist Mutual Aid Network; Humanists Sweden; Iniziativa Laica; International Committee against Executions and Stoning; International Feminist Front, including 81 member organisations; Kif Mama Kif Baba; L’Association Nationale des Études Féministes; La Fuerza de Mujeres; Laiques sans Frontieres; Learning through skills acquisition initiative – LETSAI Nigeria; Les Amazones d’Avignon; Ligue du Droit International des Femmes; Livonia Salon; MALI, Mouvement Alternatif pour les Libertés Individuelles Morocco; Manaarah; Marea; MicroMega; Mouvement pour l’émancipation et la liberté de pensée; Muslimish; National Secular Society; Norwegian Humanist Association; One Law for All; Pale Blue Dot Films; Peter Tatchell Foundation; Project Resist; Rainbow Refugee Committee; Regards de femmes; Secularism is a Woman’s Issue; Shuddhashar FreeVoice; Southall Black Sisters; Tallahassee Atheists; The Dissident Club; The Freethinker; The Pensive Quill; Union femmes socialistes; Uniting The Cults; Viva Vegas Project; Women Create International and Women Declaration International.