Boutaleb was born in
Fez on 31 December 1937. He studied history at the
Faculté des lettres de Paris and took part in leftist demonstrations across Europe. When he returned to Morocco in 1960, he joined the
National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP). In 1970, he became a history professor at Mohammed V University, becoming dean of the Faculty of Arts of Rabat. In 1972, he was removed from his position due to his challenge of power. In
1977, he was elected to the
House of Representatives, representing Fez as an
independent. He held his seat until 1983, retiring from politics after a wave of arrests targeting left-wing activists and politicians. Boutaleb became editor-in-chief of the journal
Hesperis-Tamuda. Upon the accession of King
Mohammed VI, he was appointed to the
Equity and Reconciliation Commission to help settle human rights violations during the
Years of Lead. He was also appointed by
decree as a member of the on 3 January 2010. Boutaled died on 1 March 2022, at the age of 84. ==Publications==