Thursday, July 23, 2015
Last month, a taxi driver in Fez ejected a customer from his cab, shouting that he was a “khanit,” slang for gay. A mob then beat the man, who was wearing a wig and a white dress. In a video that circulated widely online, the victim can be seen rolling on the ground while his attackers strike and insult him.
Because of that cell-phone footage, two of the attackers are now on trial for assault. Dozens of lawyers from human rights groups around the country have reportedly offered legal assistance to the victim, who was only saved by police intervention. The incident is just the latest in a series of controversies in Morocco over sexual freedom, public morality and the law.
