Gay Moroccan Couple Arrested For Kissing Could Face Three Years In Jail

Two university students were jailed in Inezgane, Morocco on Thursday after a video they took of themselves kissing went viral on social media and sparked strong reactions in the community.

The video, which shows two silhouetted men kissing in a classroom, was reportedly taken in a school in the Aït Melloul neighborhood where one of the men works as a coordinator.

Morocco World News reports both suspects will remain in custody until a hearing scheduled for next week, where they’ll receive a final verdict.

If convicted, the men could pay a fine of up to 1,200 dirhams (~$3,267) and serve up to three years in jail for violating Article 489 of the Penal Code of Morocco, which criminalizes “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex.”

In June, Morocco’s archaic laws banning same-sex sexual activity led to a sting arrest of 20 people who were accused of being gay and subsequently charged with “incitement to corruption.”