Jerando Case: Anti-Morocco Jargon Backed, Used by Algeria's ‘Electronic Flies' & Beyond
Rabat – We are all familiar with the social media memes featuring people claiming they don't like drama, but when it happens, they will be the first ones to jump in and enjoy it.
In many situations, individuals, groups, organizations, and even governments may intervene to lecture on human rights but often turn a blind eye to more urgent issues that deserve attention, such as the pleas of irregular migrants pleas, the genocide in Gaza, and other critical violations recorded here and there around the world.
Instead, these actors would rather focus on cases of ordinary citizens who create a YouTube channel or a TikTok account to share unverified claims and disseminate allegations targeting a specific person or a whole country, with its institutions, organizations, and internal affairs.
This is exactly the case with the Algerian regime and the claims of Hicham Jerando, a Moroccan YouTuber who lives in Canada. Jerando, who reportedly owns a men's clothing store, has made a name for himself not as a vendor but rather among those who enjoy conspiracy theories, especially about Morocco, its monarchy and security services.
Upon the launch of his channel approximately four years ago, he presented himself as a consultant, covering different topics related to entrepreneurship, finance, among many.
In the past few years, however, Jerando changed his narrative to focus on conspiracy theories and defamation campaigns targeting not only people, but also high-ranking officials in the security sector and the government.
Social media as a refuge to success
His videos on YouTube, with over 727,000 subscribers, rack up hundreds of thousands of views, and why wouldn't they? It is not surprising as many social media influencers turned to similar approaches to collect fame, exhibiting erratic behavior if one of their audiences sends a virtual gift like the 'TikTok Lion,' among others.
A week ago, Jerando shared a video that generated over 126,000 views and hundreds of comments, the majority of which condemned his anti-Moroccan claims and defended the monarchy as the source of Morocco's stability.
In the video, he claimed that he 'uncovered grave matters' — presumably expressing concerns about the 'dangerous' situation in Morocco – alleging that King Mohammed VI is 'being targeted by a silent coup' and that Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan is 'in danger.'
Jerando further claimed that the monarch 'wanted to make radical changes,' but he 'was attacked and he is unable to act,' calling on people who care about the monarch 'to act immediately.'
Many took to social media and on his YouTube channel comments section to denounce his claims, which have been largely perceived as a provocation that sought to incite violence and destabilization.
Exploiting the emotions of his audience, Jerando's content creates an atmosphere of tension and division, promoting violent and rebellious ideas.
His claims further intensified when some of his family members were arrested for their alleged involvement in extortion and embezzlement.
Jerando's family lands in legal trouble
Last week, the public prosecutor at the Casablanca court arrested four individuals who were taken in custody.
The prosecutor identified two of the suspects as Jerando's sister and her husband, who face charges of 'complicity in contempt of a constitutional body and an organized group, dissemination and publication of false claims and facts to harm the privacy of individuals and defame them, as well as for the offense and threats.'
One of the individuals is a minor, who was referred to a juvenile judge and ordered to stay at the Abdeslam Bennani Child Protection Center.
International media, however, have spread fake news alleging that she has been put in a prison.
The public prosecutor responded to the claims, reiterating that she is in fact in the child protection center, in line with legal procedures for minors.
According to the prosecutor, the 13-year-old minor is involved in the case, in which she acquired and provided SIM cards used in acts of cyber extortion, blackmail and defamation by the primary suspect.
While the court did not specifically mention his name, reports said the court referred the primary suspect to be Jerando, who is currently on the run abroad.
The Regional Human Rights Committee in the Casablanca Settat Region is currently monitoring the case.
In response to rumors and claims, the council called for refraining from sharing the child's identity, name, and image as this could violate her privacy and lead to potential psychological harm.
The suspects were arrested following a complaint from a woman who said she received a call from an unknown phone number in which she was subjected to defamation, insults, and threats.
Morocco's media perspective
Moroccan news outlet Le360 said on March 4 that the charges contradict Jerando's channel, as he has been ironically promoting content that seeks to fight against corruption and embezzlement.
'The most surprising aspect is the cover under which Hicham Jerando hides-his fight against corruption and embezzlement,' the news outlet said. According to their sources, Jerando has 'intervened to ask the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health to have one of his nieces admitted to medical school in Morocco.'
The news outlet further said that 'the one who spends his time selling his videos by fighting against embezzlement, corruption…was hoping to bypass an entrance exam to get his niece into medical school.'
Converging media further reported on the case in Morocco, noting how Jerando 'skillfully navigated social media codes' to strike accusations and conspiracy narratives to catch his audiences' attention.
'However, by continually pushing the limits of discourse, the foundation on which his credibility rested collapsed, dragging several associates into a legal process with multiple ramifications,' Telque l wrote .
Loved by Algeria's 'electronic flies'
Jerando's narratives have been well-seated among 'electronic flies' – or fake troll-like accounts – orchestrated by both regimes and media that endorse anti-Morocco sentiments and rhetoric.
Specifically, Jerando's content has also been hijacked and amplified by electronic flies originating from Algeria, which are using the situation to target Morocco's stability and undermine its reputation.
Various Algerian TikTok and Instagram accounts are widely exploiting the controversy surrounding Jerando's claims. These accounts are amplifying his conspiracy theories, especially about the alleged Moroccan coup as well as multiple narratives that paint Morocco and its monarchy in a critical light.
The arrest of Jerando was soon picked up by the Algerian regime's affiliated media, which used unverified claims and unsurprising defamations to take on Morocco and its internal affairs.
Algeria's official media claimed Morocco arrested the suspects in a 'fabricated case to take revenge on a relative of hers who exposed the crimes and revealed the involvement of high ranking officials in corruption… and other matters treating the security of the state.'
These claims have been widely circulated in Algerian media including Radio Algerie, as well as electronic flies, without any concrete evidence or supporting documents to substantiate the accusations.
Using hashtags, describing it as a 'scandal in Morocco,' one journalist in Algeria turned a blind eye on Morocco's prosecutor's clarification that the minor allegedly involved in the case was placed in a child center and not prison.
'The scandal surrounding the arrest of 13-year old…by the Moroccan authorities has sparked widespread anger among human rights activists and journalists, who labeled it as a 'dark day for human rights in Morocco',' he claimed, alleging this comes amid 'growing danger of systematic repression of freedom of speech.'
These maneuvers are not surprising as the regime has been lobbying and picking up on any chance – no matter if it's baseless – to portray Morocco unfavorably, especially when it comes to targeting the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara. Tags: algeria and human rightsHicham Jerando Case
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