Defense lawyers said 13 of the defendants received eight-month prison terms and were due for release after completing their sentences. Two others were handed one-year sentences with 10 months to be served in detention, while three individuals received suspended 12-month terms after previously being released pending trial.

The case also includes six minors, who are scheduled to appear before the court on June 19. Four of them remain in pretrial detention, while two were released pending proceedings, according to defence lawyer El Hassan Essonni.

The prosecutions stem from protests that erupted in September 2025, led by a youth movement that called for reforms in public healthcare and education.

Authorities said the demonstrations, which took place across several cities, resulted in widespread arrests after gatherings were initially banned.

According to data cited by prosecutors, more than 2,400 people have been prosecuted in connection with the protests, while over 1,400 were held in detention by October last year. Police carried out hundreds of arrests in the early days of the unrest.

The protests included episodes of violence in some areas, including Agadir, where three people were killed in clashes. Organizers of the movement have maintained that their demonstrations were intended to be nonviolent.

Morocco authorities continue to process cases linked to the unrest as courts handle trials arising from the broader protest movement.

Weekly protests, which began with small turnouts following the launch of joint military operations by Israel and the United States on February 28, are drawing gradually larger crowds, though still far below last year’s mass demonstrations over the Gaza conflict.

In Tel Aviv, security forces moved to break up a rally at HaBima Square, citing emergency regulations that prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people due to ongoing missile threats from Iran and Lebanon.Police said 13 people were arrested in the city, while an additional five were detained in Haifa after protesters blocked roads and ignored instructions to disperse.

Authorities described the demonstrations as illegal under wartime guidelines.Footage showed officers forcibly removing protesters, with some individuals pushed to the ground during clashes.

Organizers, including groups such as Standing Together, Peace Now and Women Wage Peace, accused authorities of suppressing dissent. A spokesperson for one organizing group said the demonstrations had not received official authorization.

Participants expressed frustration over the lack of clarity surrounding the war’s objectives. “Nobody actually knows what is the aim,” said Yoram, a 52-year-old tour guide attending the Tel Aviv protest.Another protester, Joanne Levine, 76, criticized the government’s strategy, linking the conflict to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite the protests, public backing for the war remains strong. A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 78 percent of Jewish Israelis support the conflict, compared to 19 percent among Arab Israeli citizens.

However, opposition is increasing, with the share of those against the war rising to 11.5 percent from 4 percent earlier in March, according to the survey.The demonstrations come as Israel continues to face sustained rocket and missile fire amid escalating regional hostilities.