The minister for justice, the former activist Mustapha
Ramid, presented the national report on the situation in Morocco on 22
May in Geneva as part of the Universal Periodic Examination on human
rights. He was questioned on accusations that the country had
seen repeated attacks on freedom of expression at several levels and
the resurgence of police violence during demonstrations. The minister
was called upon to reform the press code, abolish the death
penalty and introduce legislation abolishing polygamy and the marriage
of minors. In response, Ramid drew attention to Morocco's
moratorium on the death penalty and promised a revised press code.
On the same day, the Mamfakinche collective launched the Free
Koulchi (literally, Free Everybody) advocating a general amnesty for
political prisoners in Morocco. Its website campaign notes
that 13 years after Mohamed VI's accession and seven years
after the Instance pour l'équité et la réconciliation (IER), the body which was supposed to have settled issues around human rights abuses in
Morocco, the human rights situation was still fragile, with:
- dissidents regularly put on trial for their opinions;
- journalists jailed;
- trials being rigged;
- police violence a risk at demonstrations;
- public media tools for state propaganda;
- repressive anti-terrorist legislation in force.
The campaign page calls upon Prime Minister Benkirane and the
Chamber of Representatives (Lower House of Parliament) to 'break with
immobilism and present, debate and adopt a bill of amnesty for
all those given sentences for political reasons, both during the period
covered by the IER report (1956 to 2005) and since'. Among
those listed on the page to be freed are rapper LaHaqed and the poet of the Mouvement du 20-Février, Younes Belkhdim, arrested
on 30 March during a sit-in in support of LaHaqed, and sentenced to two
years imprisonment on 18 May.
For more news and expert analysis about Morocco, please see Morocco Politics & Security.
© 2012 Menas Associates
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