[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"gxw-site-config":3,"\u002Finternal_link\u002Flist:{\"platform\":\"pc\",\"lang\":\"en\"}":19,"\u002Farticle\u002Fdetail:{\"id\":1000819,\"lang\":\"en\",\"type\":\"article\"}":58},{"code":4,"msg":5,"time":6,"data":7},1,"ok","1793096980",{"lang":8,"title":9,"keywords":10,"description":11,"backend_title":12,"maintenance":13,"mourning":13,"copyright":14,"logos":15,"app_launch_title_image":17,"stats_code":18},"en","LGBTQ News — Making Diversity Visible","Same-sex, Gay, Queer, News, Homosexual, Bisexual, Transgender, Gay, Lesbian, LGBT, Diversity Times","Founded in March 2025, LGBTQ News is dedicated to tracking and reporting global LGBTQ+ developments 24\u002F7, delivering the most timely and comprehensive professional news content for diverse communities worldwide.","LGBTQ News",false,"© 2026 LGBTQ News",{"pc_header":16,"pc_footer":16,"h5":16},"\u002Fuploads\u002F20260731\u002Fda592237fc0c484ccfc69f81c30d4d5d.png","","\u003C!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->\r\n\u003Cscript async src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.googletagmanager.com\u002Fgtag\u002Fjs?id=G-C5JV1NRD6G\">\u003C\u002Fscript>\r\n\u003Cscript>\r\nwindow.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\r\nfunction gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}\r\ngtag('js', new Date());\r\ngtag('config', 'G-C5JV1NRD6G');\r\n\u003C\u002Fscript>",{"list":20},[21,26,29,32,35,38,41,44,47,50,53,56],{"id":22,"keyword":23,"url":24,"target_platform":25},24,"LGBTQ","https:\u002F\u002Fgayxw.com","all",{"id":27,"keyword":28,"url":24,"target_platform":25},23,"Diverse Times",{"id":30,"keyword":31,"url":24,"target_platform":25},22,"LGBT",{"id":33,"keyword":34,"url":24,"target_platform":25},21,"Lesbian",{"id":36,"keyword":37,"url":24,"target_platform":25},7,"Transgender",{"id":39,"keyword":40,"url":24,"target_platform":25},8,"Gay",{"id":42,"keyword":43,"url":24,"target_platform":25},6,"Bisexual",{"id":45,"keyword":46,"url":24,"target_platform":25},5,"Homosexual",{"id":48,"keyword":49,"url":24,"target_platform":25},4,"News",{"id":51,"keyword":52,"url":24,"target_platform":25},3,"Queer",{"id":54,"keyword":55,"url":24,"target_platform":25},2,"Comrade",{"id":4,"keyword":57,"url":24,"target_platform":25},"Same-sex",{"id":59,"lanmu_id":60,"tag_ids":61,"type":62,"title":63,"summary":64,"cover":65,"cover_alt":66,"og_image":17,"video_url":17,"video_poster":17,"duration":67,"author":17,"source":17,"source_url":17,"is_reprint":67,"view_count":48,"like_count":67,"publish_time":68,"seo":66,"attrs":69,"images":70,"requested_lang":8,"actual_lang":8,"fallback_used":13,"content":71,"voice":17,"lanmu_name":72,"lanmu_code":73,"tag_names":74},1000819,10,"4","article","Morocco: Eight LGBTQ+ People Sentenced in Fez","Eight LGBTQ+ people sentenced in Fez, Morocco, amid concerns over arrests and trial defense.","\u002Fuploads\u002F20261021\u002F844c74b6df14c4671fc5db976f6748f9.webp",null,0,1792592155,{"voice":17,"share_cover_mobile":17},"[\"\u002Fuploads\u002F20261021\u002F844c74b6df14c4671fc5db976f6748f9.webp\"]","\u003Cp style=\"text-align:center;\">\u003Cimg src=\"\u002Fuploads\u002F20261021\u002F844c74b6df14c4671fc5db976f6748f9.webp\" alt=\"Aerial view of the Fez medina and the Chouara tanneries, Morocco\" style=\"width:70%;\">\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:center;color:#999999;\">This image is for illustrative purposes only and is not directly related to this story. Image source: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pexels.com\u002Fphoto\u002Faerial-view-of-fes-medina-and-tanneries-38112164\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\">Ramon Karolan\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp>International LGBTQ+ rights organization All Out reported on October 5, 2026, that eight defendants in a case involving LGBTQ+ people in Fez, Morocco, had received sentences. Seven were given eight months in prison to be served immediately, while an eighth received a three-month suspended sentence. The defendants had been arrested in August, and rights groups have raised concerns about how the case was handled.\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp>According to All Out and Moroccan magazine TelQuel, the incident began on August 19 in the Lirak neighborhood of Fez. The people detained included transgender individuals who had been sharing a rented home for several months. All Out said a crowd gathered outside, allegedly hurling insults, threats and stones at the residents. The people inside reportedly called the police for help, but officers arrested around ten of them. The alleged attack has not been independently confirmed, and reports differ over the initial number of people detained.\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp>All Out said the first hearing, on August 24, coincided with a nationwide lawyers' strike, leaving the defendants without lawyers appearing on their behalf at that hearing. The organization has also questioned whether they received an effective legal defense in the proceedings leading to the sentences. As of this article's verification, no publicly accessible original court judgment had been located for independent review, and the status of any appeal could not be confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp>Background and analysis: Article 489 of Morocco's Penal Code criminalizes same-sex sexual acts and provides for prison terms of six months to three years, along with a fine. In a separate case, feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist Ibtissame \"Betty\" Lachgar was sentenced in 2025 to 30 months in prison and fined 50,000 dirhams after posting a photograph of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the words \"Allah is lesbian.\" The appeal court upheld her sentence in October 2025. A bone cancer survivor, Lachgar was reported by rights groups in 2026 to be experiencing worsening health in detention. The cases have renewed attention to criminalization, fair-trial safeguards and freedom of expression. Details of the Fez proceedings should continue to be assessed against verifiable court records as they become available.\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:right;\">Africa Editorial Office: Imani Makena\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:right;\">Sources:\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:right;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Faction.allout.org\u002Fen\u002Fm\u002Fa5b43917\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\">All Out case update\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:right;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftelquel.ma\u002F2026\u002F08\u002F27\u002Farrestations-a-fes-le-comite-stophomo-transphobia-livre-sa-version-des-faits_2004366\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\">TelQuel report on the Fez arrests\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:right;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewpi.inpplc.ma\u002Ffr\u002Fnode\u002F201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\">Official Moroccan Penal Code text portal\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\r\n\u003Cp style=\"text-align:right;\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.omct.org\u002Ffr\u002Fressources\u002Fdeclarations\u002Fmaroc-un-an-apr%C3%A8s-sa-condamnation-la-militante-f%C3%A9ministe-ibtissame-lachgar-demeure-arbitrairement-d%C3%A9tenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\">FIDH–OMCT statement on Betty Lachgar\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>","Africa","lanmu_10",{"4":75},"Scrolling"]