A Moroccan man has been sentenced to five years in jail for criticizing King Mohammed VI in his Facebook posts regarding the country's normalization of ties with Israel. Said Boukioud, 48, was convicted on Monday by the Court of First Instance in Casablanca for undermining the monarchy with comments he made on Facebook in 2020.

Boukioud, who was residing in Qatar at the time, deleted the posts and closed his account upon learning about the prosecution in Morocco. Despite expressing his rejection of ties with Israel, his lawyer emphasized that he had no intention of offending the king. This verdict has been described as harsh and incomprehensible by Boukioud's lawyer, who has filed an appeal on his behalf.

Under Morocco's constitution, the monarch, King Mohammed VI, holds authority over foreign affairs. The country normalized relations with Israel in December 2020 as part of the US-backed Abraham Accords. The lawyer argues that the law used to convict Boukioud limits freedom of expression and fails to specifically outline what constitutes an attack on the monarchy.

Boukioud was found guilty under article 267-5 of the penal code, which typically carries a sentence of six months to two years for undermining the monarchy. However, in this case, the sentence was increased to five years due to the public nature of the offense, which included electronic means.

Human rights activists have criticized the law for its impact on freedom of expression. Since normalizing ties, Morocco and Israel have strengthened cooperation in areas such as security, trade, and tourism. However, not all Moroccans support this move, particularly considering the rise of the far-right coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Many Moroccans also maintain strong pro-Palestinian views. In a recent speech, King Mohammed VI reiterated Morocco's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.