L7a9d
{{short description|Moroccan rapper and human rights activist (born 1988)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = person
| name = L7a9d
| native_name = {{lang|ar|الحاقد}}
| native_name_lang =
| image = L7a9ed-janvier2012.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| alt = Belaghouat wearing a dark hoodie and light cap, being filmed by a crowd of people, smiling and appearing to shake hands
| caption = Belaghouat in 2012
| birth_name = Mouad Belaghouat
| alias = El Haqed
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1988}}
| birth_place = Casablanca, Morocco
| origin =
| genre = Rap
| occupation = Musician, activist
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active =
| label =
| website =
}}
Mouad Belaghouat ({{langx|ar|معاذ بلغوات}}; born in 1988), better known as L7a9d or El Haqed ({{lang|ar|الحاقد}}), is a Moroccan rapper and human rights activist who rose to prominence when he was imprisoned for criticising Mohammed VI, the king of Morocco.{{cite news|first1=Karim |last1=Boukhari|title=L7A9D. Le rappeur des deux Oukacha|url=http://telquel.ma/2012/05/07/L7A9D-le-rappeur-des-deux-Oukacha_492_2648|date=12 May 2012|language=fr|accessdate=15 October 2014|newspaper=Telquel|number= 492}}{{cite news|first1=Maria|last1=Karim|title="L7A9D" ou, la voix du peuple.|url=https://fr.lakome.info/archives/opinion/62-chroniques-dopinion/835-ql7a9dq-ou-la-voix-du-peuple.html|accessdate=13 February 2014|newspaper=Lakome|date=20 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219060642/http://fr.lakome.info/archives/opinion/62-chroniques-dopinion/835-ql7a9dq-ou-la-voix-du-peuple.html|archive-date=19 February 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Mobilisation au Maroc pour L7a9d|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2012/01/11/mobilisation-au-maroc-pour-l7a9d_1628319_3246.html|accessdate=13 February 2014|newspaper=Le Monde|date=11 January 2012|author=Stéphanie Binet}}
After two years in prison, he was released in 2013. In February 2014, he issued the album Waloo.
On 13 February 2014, the police raided a library where Belaghouat was holding a press conference, in which he intended to present his new album.{{cite news|title=Maroc : Une conférence du rappeur L7a9d "empêchée" à la dernière minute|url=http://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/23278/maroc-conference-rappeur-l7a9d-empechee.html|accessdate=13 February 2014|newspaper=Yabiladi|date=13 February 2014}}
Third imprisonment
On 18 May 2014, L7a9d was arrested again at the entrance of the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca. He was trying to attend a game between Raja Casablanca and Moghreb Tetouan, and police officers arrested him, claiming he was selling tickets on the black market, an accusation which he denied. Additionally, the police pressed charges against him for allegedly beating four officers during the event.{{cite news|title=L7a9d encore arrêté lors du match Raja Casablanca et Moghreb Tétouan|url=http://www.h24info.ma/maroc/mouad-l7a9ed-encore-arrete-lors-du-match-raja-mat/23168|accessdate=9 June 2014|agency=H24Info|date=19 May 2014|archive-date=24 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524082302/http://www.h24info.ma/maroc/mouad-l7a9ed-encore-arrete-lors-du-match-raja-mat/23168|url-status=dead}}
In September 2014, L7a9d was nominated by the European United Left–Nordic Green Left for the Sakharov Prize, along with Tunisian rapper Weld El 15 and Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah. The following month, the nomination was withdrawn after controversy over some 2012 tweets by Abd El-Fattah at the time of Israel's bombing of Gaza.Joel Benin, [http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/19576/can-arabs-be-human-rights-defenders Can Arabs be Human Rights Defenders?], Jadaliyya, 10 October 2014