Aziz Ghali is a Moroccan human rights defender, serving as the president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) since 2019. On 25 December 2024, he appeared before the Court of First Instance in Rabat, facing charges of “undermining the territorial integrity of the Kingdom and public security.” These charges stem from statements he made during an interview with “Arabi21” where he reiterated AMDH’s long standing position supporting the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and advocated for a negotiated solution beyond the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco. The trial was postponed to 08 January 2025. The complaint was filed by the Al-Karama Association for the Defense of Human Rights, which accused Ghali of disseminating false information and defaming the Moroccan people, particularly concerning the events of Gdeim Izik and the Western Sahara issue. The case has caused a lot of controversy and caused AMDH members to resign due to their disagreement with Ghali’s stance. Despite this, numerous national and international human rights organizations have expressed solidarity with Ghali, condemning the legal actions against him as a blatant violation of freedom of expression and an attempt to stifle dissenting voices within civil society. His case highlights the rising repression that human rights defenders in Morocco, particularly those who deal with sensitive topics like the Western Sahara, are experiencing.