Mohamed Sabri was arrested during the social riots that took place in Casablanca on June 20, 1981. He was transferred to an unofficial interrogation centre where he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment in order to obtain a confession.

On July 1, 1981, he was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for “compromising the public order” on the sole basis of confessions obtained under torture. He began serving his sentence at a Casablanca prison before being transferred to Ain Ali Moumen.