Tangier mayor arrested amid investigation into electoral fraud in Morocco
Moroccan authorities have detained Tangier's mayor, Mounir Limouri, and five others on suspicion of electoral fraud during the recent parliamentary elections, which saw Morocco's ruling coalition win amid the lowest voter turnout in two decades. The investigation is ongoing as authorities address reports of ballot tampering in Tangier.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-09-28
Moroccan authorities on Monday placed Tangier’s mayor, Mounir Limouri, in police custody over suspected electoral fraud related to the recent parliamentary elections, according to a judicial source cited by AFP.
Five other individuals, including two polling station officials in Tangier, are also being held in pre-trial detention on similar accusations, the source added.
Limouri, a member of the centre-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which won 97 of 395 seats, was detained upon arrival at Tangier airport from Spain following a warrant for alleged ballot tampering in his constituency.
The elections, dominated by Morocco’s ruling coalition, were marked by the lowest voter turnout in two decades and reports of fraud, particularly in Tangier. The interior ministry has launched a broad investigation into these allegations.
Limouri has denied any connection to the fraud, telling Le360 news website that he “had no connection” with the incident.
The political context includes PAM’s anticipated appointment to lead the next government, with figures such as Fouzi Lekjaa and Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri considered potential prime ministers.