The Tangier Court of Appeal reduced the prison sentence of French-Moroccan rapper Maes, known legally as Walid Georgey, from seven years to one year on Thursday, November 5, 2026. This judicial decision follows his initial conviction in November 2025 for involvement in a criminal gang and attempted kidnapping and sequestration, according to a press release from his lawyer, Me Saïd Harir.
The reduction significantly alters the legal trajectory for the artist, who has amassed hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify. While the initial ruling by the first instance court imposed a heavy seven-year term, the appellate court’s decision to slash the sentence to twelve months brings his total time served closer to his actual period of detention. Local media outlets report that since his arrest in Morocco in January 2025, Georgey will have spent nearly two years in prison, suggesting his release may be imminent.
Tangier Court of Appeal slashes Maes’s sentence from seven years to one
The legal proceedings in Morocco center on allegations that the rapper was involved in a plot to hire a gang and contract killers to assassinate a rival. According to reports from france24.com and maroc-hebdo.com, the conspiracy was ultimately thwarted by authorities. The appellate ruling on November 5 effectively pivots the case away from the original seven-year mandate handed down in November 2025.
Me Saïd Harir, representing Georgey, stated that the new verdict “opens a new perspective” for his client. The case has been characterized by international legal complexities. france24.com reports that Georgey was apprehended in Morocco in January 2025 after departing the United Arab Emirates. His departure from the UAE was reportedly motivated by fears of extradition to France, where an international arrest warrant had already been issued against him.
This judicial timeline is marked by several distinct legal milestones:
- 2024: A French court convicted Georgey in absentia, sentencing him to 10 months in prison and a 10,000 euro fine for acts of collective violence.
- January 2025: Arrested in Morocco following his departure from the United Arab Emirates.
- November 2025: Convicted in the first instance to seven years in prison for “formation of a criminal gang” and “attempted kidnapping and sequestration.”
- November 5, 2026: The Tangier Court of Appeal reduces the sentence to one year.
Sentence reduction changes legal culpability and extradition outlook
The reduction of the sentence highlights the discrepancy between the initial criminal gang charges and the final appellate determination. While the primary charges involved high-level criminal conspiracy, the one-year sentence suggests a significant recalibration of the court’s view on his level of culpability or the nature of the attempted crimes. maroc-hebdo.com notes that the original seven-year sentence was a firm prison term, whereas the new one-year sentence drastically changes the math regarding his time already spent in custody.
The shadow of French jurisdiction remains a critical factor in this case. The international arrest warrant mentioned by france24.com indicates that despite the legal developments in Morocco, Georgey remains a person of interest to French authorities regarding his 2024 conviction for violence. The interplay between Moroccan judicial decisions and French extradition requests creates a complex legal environment for the artist’s future movement and professional activities.
The implications for the artist’s career are substantial. With his legal standing in Morocco shifting toward potential release, the ability to resume professional engagements depends heavily on how the Moroccan authorities handle the intersection of this sentence with the existing French warrants. For an artist whose commercial value is tied to digital platforms and global visibility, the transition from a long-term incarceration to a near-immediate release represents a total shift in his operational capacity.
“This decision opens a new perspective for Mr. Georgey,” stated Me Saïd Harir.
