About Sion Assidon
Sion Assidon, 77, Moroccan human rights activist.
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Full Biography
|Sion Assidon (Arabic: سيون أسيدون; 1948 – 7 November 2025) was a Moroccan human rights activist and a founding member of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) branch in Morocco. His life was marked by decades of political activism, imprisonment during Morocco's Years of Lead, and leadership in the BDS movement in Morocco.
Assidon was a prominent figure on the Moroccan left. He was a staunch anti-Zionist and proponent of a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He drew a clear distinction between Judaism and Zionism, stating, "You mustn't confuse Zionism with Judaism: the Israeli government says it represents Jews the world over, but that's not true."
Biography
Assidon was born in 1948 to a Moroccan Berber Jewish family in Safi. His family moved to Agadir shortly after, and then to Casablanca after the 1960 Agadir earthquake. He later moved to France, where he studied mathematics in Paris and became influenced by Marxist ideas. He decided to return to Morocco in 1967, after completing his studies.
In 1986, he founded an IT company before taking over the family business.
Assidon was married to an American Palestinian. They had a son named Milal.
On 11 August 2025, following a period of significant protest activity from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Morocco targeting Maersk shipping activity in Moroccan ports, Assidon was discovered unconscious with head injuries in his home in Mohammedia. His injury was caused by a falling accident as he was repairing an electric device on a ladder. Moroccan police issued a preliminary report on 19 August that said no signs of violence or forced entry had been noticed, and that the incident was probably due to a sickness or accidental fall.
Assidon died less than three months later, on 7 November 2025, at the age of 77. He had shown signs of recovery prior, according to his family, but his health worsened due to a lung infection. According to Jewish Currents, "official, though vigorously disputed, reports describe the cause as a fall while gardening at his home in Mohammedia."
Activities
Assidon was one of the founders of the Marxist Leninist organization Harakat 23 Mars, on 23 March 1970. During the Years of Lead, Assidon was involved in the fight for the establishment of democracy in his country, which led to his arrest in 1972. He spent 12 years in prison along with fellow opposition leaders and political dissidents.
Assidon was a “resolute defender of the Palestinian cause". He was a vocal opponent of Morocco's normalization with Israel.
In 2005, he founded "Transparency Maroc" of which he became the director and he was a member of the Executive Board and the Board of Directors of Transparency International.
In 2010, he launched the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS). A year later, he protested against Hindi Zahra with the Casablanca group of the BDS, because the singer had decided to hold a concert in Tel Aviv.
He was a Jewish atheist who believed in freedom of religion.
In April 2012, he protested the visit of Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe'er, declaring:
"We should not receive artists or athletes from this country as if nothing had happened. It is abnormal to pretend everything is fine. These are people who are inflicting apartheid on the Palestinian people. We must not receive them but also show solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sion_Assidon
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Sion Assidon's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the name of the organization that Sion Assidon co-founded on 23 March 1970?
- A.Harakat 23 Marscorrect
- B.The Casablanca Group
- C.BDS Morocco
- D.Transparency Maroc
Sion Assidon was one of the founders of the Marxist Leninist organization Harakat 23 Mars, established on 23 March 1970.
Source: Activities section
2.How many years did Sion Assidon spend in prison during the Years of Lead?
- A.8 years
- B.15 years
- C.5 years
- D.12 yearscorrect
Sion Assidon was arrested in 1972 for his political activism and spent 12 years in prison.
Source: Activities section
3.In what year did Sion Assidon launch the Moroccan branch of the BDS movement?
- A.2012
- B.2010correct
- C.2005
- D.2008
Sion Assidon launched the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement in 2010.
Source: Activities section
4.What was the profession of the wife of Sion Assidon?
- A.Moroccan Activist
- B.French Mathematician
- C.Italian Journalist
- D.American Palestiniancorrect
Sion Assidon was married to an American Palestinian and they had a son named Milal.
Source: Biography section
5.What business venture did Sion Assidon start in 1986?
- A.A shipping firm
- B.A publishing house
- C.An IT companycorrect
- D.A human rights NGO
In 1986, Sion Assidon founded an IT company before he took over his family business.
Source: Biography section
6.What was the specific cause of the injury Sion Assidon suffered in August 2025?
- A.A physical assault
- B.A protest scuffle
- C.A falling accident from a laddercorrect
- D.A car accident
Sion Assidon's injury was caused by a falling accident as he was repairing an electric device on a ladder.
Source: Biography section
7.What position did Sion Assidon hold within Transparency International?
- A.Member of the Executive Boardcorrect
- B.Executive Director
- C.President
- D.Chief Legal Advisor
Sion Assidon was a member of the Executive Board and the Board of Directors of Transparency International.
Source: Activities section
8.Sion Assidon protested against which singer in 2011 for performing in Tel Aviv?
- A.Robert Assaraf
- B.Hindi Zahracorrect
- C.Edmond Amran El Maleh
- D.Shahar Pe'er
In 2011, Sion Assidon protested against singer Hindi Zahra because she decided to hold a concert in Tel Aviv.
Source: Activities section
9.What religious identity did Sion Assidon claim for himself?
- A.Practicing Muslim
- B.Devout Zionist
- C.Jewish atheistcorrect
- D.Catholic convert
Sion Assidon was a Jewish atheist who believed in freedom of religion.
Source: Activities section
10.On what date did Sion Assidon pass away?
- A.23 March 2025
- B.7 November 2025correct
- C.11 August 2025
- D.19 August 2025
Sion Assidon died on 7 November 2025 at the age of 77.
Source: Biography section
11.Which Israeli tennis player did Sion Assidon protest against in April 2012?
- A.Reuven Abergel
- B.Shahar Pe'ercorrect
- C.Abraham Serfaty
- D.Léon Sultan
In April 2012, Sion Assidon protested the visit of Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe'er to Morocco.
Source: Activities section
12.What did the police report conclude regarding the incident at Sion Assidon's home in August 2025?
- A.Evidence of political assassination was discovered
- B.There was an attempted robbery
- C.No signs of violence were noticedcorrect
- D.Signs of forced entry were found
The Moroccan police issued a report stating that no signs of violence or forced entry had been noticed during the incident.
Source: Biography section
13.What was the ultimate cause of death for Sion Assidon after his initial injury?
- A.Gardening accident complications
- B.Head trauma
- C.A lung infectioncorrect
- D.Heart failure
Although he showed signs of recovery, Sion Assidon's health worsened due to a lung infection leading to his death.
Source: Biography section
14.After the 1960 Agadir earthquake, where did the family of Sion Assidon relocate?
- A.Mohammedia
- B.Safi
- C.Paris
- D.Casablancacorrect
The family of Sion Assidon moved to Casablanca after the 1960 Agadir earthquake.
Source: Biography section
15.In which city was Sion Assidon born in 1948?
- A.Casablanca
- B.Agadir
- C.Saficorrect
- D.Mohammedia
Sion Assidon was born to a Moroccan Berber Jewish family in Safi in 1948.
Source: Biography section
16.Which subject did Sion Assidon study while living in Paris?
- A.Economics
- B.Political Science
- C.Philosophy
- D.Mathematicscorrect
After moving to France, Sion Assidon studied mathematics in Paris where he became influenced by Marxist ideas.
Source: Biography section
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