Exclusive Interview: Moroccan Believer Speak Out After His Release from Prison

Yahya Marfouq, a 24-year-old Moroccan citizen and member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, is speaking out for the first time following his release from detention in Morocco. He and 19-year-old Huzaifa Azuz were arrested on February 20, 2025, after a violent police raid at Yahya’s family home in Khouribga. The arrest of two very young men, charged with religious offenses, sparked outrage amongst the members of the faith.

The two were detained after engaging in a peaceful missionary effort the night before, in which they displayed posters and a banner reading “Allegiance is to God.” The Moroccan authorities responded with force. The pair were later brought before the public prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Khouribga for “undermining public order and security”—a grave accusation under Moroccan law.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (MAHR), one of the most prominent civil rights organizations in Morocco, publicly condemned the arrest and mistreatment of Yahyah.

Now released, Yahya Marfouq shares his full account with The Divine Just State, detailing what he endured, how his faith was tested, and why he still believes in a future where freedom of conscience is protected.

How did you come to this faith? And how did your family and friends react to your conversion?

I embraced this faith after reading ‘The Goal of the Wise,’ the Gospel of the Qa’im of the Family of Muhammad. The book answered deep spiritual questions I had long carried. It felt like a revelation—an immense relief and source of joy. When I posted a video on Facebook pledging allegiance to my Imam, my family demanded I delete it. They told me not to publish anything further. My friends mocked me, called me insane, ridiculed my beliefs, and even denied the existence of the Mahdi. I felt isolated and distanced myself from Khouribga as much as I could.

Were you threatened for your beliefs before the arrest?

Yes—very early on, I received anonymous calls, some showing photos of Moroccan police officers. They accused me of joining a terrorist group and insulted our leader. My family was threatened too. Instead of deterring me, it only deepened my conviction. Later, my family cut off financial support while I was still a student. My friends abandoned me. But I had never broken the law.

How did you express your faith peacefully?

I used social media and personal conversations. I printed and distributed flyers, including the Manifesto of the Mahdi. My brother Houdaifa and I displayed a banner in Tetouan, which triggered a violent reaction from his father. We fled to Khouribga and continued sharing our message until our arrest. We never did anything unlawful, we only hung up posters with the cover of the Mahdi's Manifesto.

What happened on the day of the arrest?

On February 20, we were in my father’s garden. Suddenly, over 100 officers—judicial police, intelligence, and national security—surrounded the neighborhood with more than 45 vehicles. They searched the house, confiscated materials, and arrested us. My father was forced to sign a search warrant under threat of arrest. Till this day I can not believe how a few flyers could lead to such a reaction.

Video of Yahyah Marfouq's arrest

Were your rights respected during the arrest and search?

Not at all. I was never told why I was being arrested. I had no access to a lawyer, no phone calls, and no explanation. I was in complete shock as I had never been arrested before. They searched every part of the house. They treated us like criminals. Later, they even took us to where we had displayed the banner to ‘reconstruct’ the scene of the so-called crime.

What were you asked during the interrogation?

They asked about my beliefs, my family—especially my sister Maryam, who is a TV presenter at the Arabic The Mahdi has Appeared Satellite Channel. They wanted to know where she lived, what she did, if she was married. It terrified me. They exercised a lot of psychological pressure on me. They tried to confuse me, insult my Imam, and force me to renounce my faith. They told me I had no future unless I returned to Sunni Islam.

What happened to your brother Houdaifa?

We were interrogated separately. The next day, his father brought medical papers and had him forcibly committed to a psychiatric hospital. I can only imagine what they are doing to him there. He had been hospitalized before because of his beliefs. I have had no news of him since. It breaks my heart.

Did you face pressure to change your testimony or denounce your beliefs?

Yes. Over 40 officers tried to pressure and manipulate me. They called me brainwashed, told me my religion was false, and insulted our leader. They lied in the arrest report, saying I was fleeing at the time. I protested, but they made me sign a second version without reading it.

How were you treated in detention?

For six days, I couldn’t shower or contact anyone. Only after my aunt came from Italy was I allowed to clean myself. I was denied any legal counsel or official visits. I was mocked and humiliated the entire time.

I was imprisoned alone in a cold, dark, dusty cell. I didn't have a pillow, I threw up but I could not wash myself until the day before my release. It was dirty, no one came to clean. My tooth hurt, but they didn't give me any medicine and I didn't see a doctor.

I stayed in the same clothes for 7 days.

They made fun of me and my religion, they insulted my Imam, they called him a liar, a cheat, a thief and a charlatan. They told me that I would never see the light of day as long as I maintained this belief. They told me “The only king we know is the King of Morocco, where is your Imam now, what can he do for you?”

Before my release they told me that I must keep my faith a secret and not share it with anyone or they would arrest me again. They told me that I'm stupid and that I'm being manipulated, and I wasn't allowed to make any phone calls or talk to a lawyer or my family.

After my arrest I knew that I could never practise my faith in Morocco.

What happened after your release?

At first, my family seemed relieved. But then they tried to silence me. They prevented me from leaving the house, insulted me, and tried to drive me out. I couldn’t retrieve my belongings or speak freely to my sister Maryam. The family’s lawyer told me to stay silent forever and never speak of my religion again.

Why did you leave Morocco, and how are you now?

My ID card was taken and never returned. I fled to Turkey with only my passport. Here, I’ve met other believers, but because of the trauma, I still feel lost, isolated, and afraid. Only after arriving did I discover I had been falsely accused of terrorism. That lie has destroyed my reputation. I lost family and friends because of these accusations. It broke my heart.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to live in a country where I can practice my faith freely, with dignity and without fear. I still believe in human rights and the possibility of asylum. Organizations like HRWF and human rights defenders know I was wrongly imprisoned. I only ask for freedom of conscience and peace.

For Yahya Marfouq, the arrest did more than remove him from his home—it destroyed his life. Once a student surrounded by family, he now lives in exile, stripped of his dignity, his rights, and his sense of safety. The trauma of detention, public humiliation, and forced separation from loved ones has left deep scars.

His story is not isolated. Across borders, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light continues to face persecution. Seven members remain imprisoned in Egypt, and two others have disappeared without a trace in Iran.

What happened to Yahya is part of a wider, disturbing pattern. One in which peaceful expression of belief is met with state-led repression. And while the faces and names may change, the cost remains tragically the same.

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