As we enter the global 16 Days of Activism against sex-based violence, this year takes on urgent significance. By 10 December, International Human Rights Day, Betty will have spent 122 days in prison for a peaceful act of expression carried out outside Morocco.

Across these months she has endured conditions that violate Morocco’s international human rights obligations: prolonged isolation, the absence of a mattress or pillow, and the denial of urgent, specialist medical treatment despite the complete detachment of her humerus bone and the imminent risk of amputation. This period offers us an essential window to intensify coordinated, global pressure.

1. Coalition Letter-Writing Push (Between November 25-December 10)

We are asking every organisation in the Free Betty Coalition to write to the Moroccan embassy in your country and your elected representatives urging Betty’s release and humane treatment. Please also activate your networks for a coordinated international wave of letters. It will help if you can request formal meetings or appointments to deliver your letters directly. 

Sample letters which you can adapt or share with members follows below. You can find contact details of some Moroccan embassies and government officials here and here.

2. International Action on December 10 (Human Rights Day)

The Mattress Action: A Unified Visual

To highlight that Betty has been forced to sleep on concrete for more than 120 days, we will bring mattresses and bedding to Moroccan embassies/consulates on December 10th. This stark, simple image communicates cruelty and neglect in a way no statement can. If your organisation can participate, or organise an action in your own city, please inform us as soon as possible so we can coordinate, support, and amplify your event. Confirmed actions so far: Paris, London, Los Angeles.

3. Your Role in the 16 Days of Activism

• Amplify the case widely across your platforms, including newsletters, social media platforms, mailing lists, websites, WhatsApp/Signal groups
• Encourage your members and member organisations to take part in the Mattress Action and letter-writing
• Circulate the petitions and campaign materials, available on freebetty.org
• Raise the case with your media contacts

Betty has stressed that the arrest concerns a photograph taken in London, a point that reflects the alarming extraterritorial reach of Morocco’s restrictions on expression. This extraterritorial prosecution raises serious concerns for dual nationals, tourists, and anyone expressing views abroad.

4. Why Increased Pressure Now Matters

The coalition has grown rapidly. Hundreds of organisations, representing hundreds of thousands of individuals, have condemned the conviction and called for Betty’s immediate release. This is the time to escalate. The combination of diplomatic pressure, public visibility, and sustained international mobilisation is crucial in cases of arbitrary detention, particularly where health and life are at risk.

5. Please Confirm Your Participation

To support coordination and visibility, we ask each member organisation to confirm:

• Whether you will join an existing action (Paris, London, Los Angeles)
• Whether you will organise your own city-level action
• Your contact point for rapid coordination
• Whether you can mobilise your membership for the letter-writing push

If you have questions or need support planning an event, please let us know. Materials, sample letters, and social media assets will follow shortly.

Please find a video you can use for your publicity. 

Thank you for your solidarity, for your advocacy, and for standing with Betty during these critical days.

In solidarity,

Ex-Muslims International with The Free Betty Coalition & Campaign Team
Siham Lachgar • Haram Doodles • Maryam Namazie • Shelley Segal • S.A.