Fez — The appeal trial of Franco-Moroccan rapper Walid Georgey, known by his stage name Maes, is set to open this Thursday, January 29, before the Tangier Court of Appeal, marking a new phase in a high-profile judicial case that has drawn attention in both Morocco and France.
According to Moroccan media reports, the hearing comes several months after Maes was sentenced in November 2025 to seven years in prison in a first-instance ruling.
The criminal chamber of the Tangier court found him guilty of forming a criminal gang, attempted kidnapping and unlawful confinement, and incitement to commit crimes and misdemeanors, following nearly eleven months of pretrial detention.
Multiple defendants and varying sentences
The case involves eleven defendants, some of whom received heavier sentences based on their level of involvement. In the initial ruling, M.L. was sentenced to ten years in prison, while T.L. received seven years. Four other defendants, A.C., A.M.K., W.S., and M.E.F., were each sentenced to five years of imprisonment.
The remaining accused, M.E.M., M.Z., M.N.A.C., and I.D., were given one-year suspended sentences, along with a fine of MAD 1,000. Some of the co-accused were also prosecuted on additional charges, including international drug trafficking and forgery and use of forged documents.
The court further ordered the confiscation of seized items for the benefit of the State, as well as the joint payment of legal costs, enforceable through custodial measures if unpaid. The ban on leaving Moroccan territory was lifted for one defendant, M.E.M., according to the court’s statement.
Heavy financial penalties
The Customs Administration, which joined the case as a civil party, saw its claims declared admissible. As a result, the court ordered M.L., A.C., and T.L. to jointly pay MAD 23,600,000 in damages.
Parallel proceedings in France
Separately, Walid Georgey is also facing legal proceedings in France. On January 21, he was brought before the Tangier prosecutor in connection with a request linked to suspected incitement to murder.
In June 2024, the Paris Criminal Court sentenced Maes in absentia to ten months in prison and imposed a fine of €10,000 (approximately MAD 109,000) after he failed to appear at multiple hearings in 2023 and 2024 while residing in Dubai.
A closely watched appeal
The appeal proceedings in Tangier are expected to revisit both the criminal qualifications and the severity of the sentences handed down in the first ruling. Given the scale of the case, the number of defendants, and the parallel judicial actions abroad, the outcome is being closely followed by legal observers and the artist’s public alike.
The Court of Appeal’s decision will determine whether the original convictions and penalties are upheld, reduced, or overturned, potentially reshaping one of the most closely scrutinized legal cases involving a music figure in recent years.
