Lawyer of jailed Moroccan activist warns her health is declining

Rights groups and the lawyer of jailed Moroccan feminist, Ibtissame Lachgar, warn that her health is declining rapidly because she is not getting the care she needs.

She is currently serving a 30-month sentence for offending Islam by wearing a t-shirt that said "Allah” in Arabic, followed by the words “is lesbian”.

Her lawyer, Ghizlane Mamouni, says Ibtissame - who is known as Betty, now requires surgery and could face life-threatening complications.

"The only option today, given that the appeal is pending and that this is holding up the request for an alternative sentence, is in fact a royal pardon on humanitarian and health grounds,” Mamouni says.

She adds that doctors who have reviewed her case say there is “a risk of complications and of death hanging over Betty”.

A bone cancer survivor with a prosthesis between her left shoulder and elbow, Lachgar has reportedly sustained a fracture while in prison.

Her sister, Siham Lachgar, says her condition had worsened significantly in detention.

Hakim Sikouk, head of the Rabat branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights also says her health is in a “very worrying state”.

"There is a risk that her prosthetic arm will have to be amputated. It needs to be replaced, which still has not been done. This reflects the poor conditions of her detention."

A supporter committee says it already raised concerns over her health in March, and is now calling for urgent medical care and her release.

Lachgar’s advocacy for women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and freedom of expression has frequently put her at odds with the Moroccan authorities.