Amnesty International hails significant human rights improvements in Morocco
Morocco, Politics, 2/1/2000

Amnesty International hailed as "significant" the human rights improvements in Morocco, singling out the greater freedom enjoyed by the press and the existence of more dynamic human rights organizations.

The statement was made by Amnesty International representative in Madrid at a conference on human rights that was attended by a Moroccan delegation.

During the event, Albert Sasson, member of the Moroccan human rights advisory council, said there is a close collaboration between the council and AI, adding non-governmental organizations are playing a key role in the defense of human, women and children rights.

He added that Morocco is firmly attached to improve the human rights situation and this resolve was confirmed by King Mohammed VI in a message he released on the 51st anniversary of the universal human rights Declaration. He cited various decisions made in Morocco, notably measures to compensate victims of human rights abuses and the inclusion of human rights concepts in school syllabi.

Some 5,500 complaints were submitted to the Council by victims of arbitrary detention and families of missing persons, he said.

Another member of the Council, Faysal Al Khatib, dealt in his presentation with the situation in the Moroccan Sahara and denounced obstacles erected by the polisario secessionists to prevent the populations they are sequestering from expressing their will.

He said Morocco will not accept that a single eligible person be denied the right to vote in the UN-projected referendum, insisting that persons forcibly held in the Polisario sequestration camps in Tindouf should enjoy the freedom of movement and the right to express their will.

The conference follows a study day held last week by Amnesty International on "human rights and women rights in Morocco."

Previous Stories:
  Government earmarks funds to compensate disappearance victims   (1/14/2000)
  Moroccan human rights organization asks for international fact-finding mission in tindouf camps   (11/25/1999)
  Morocco proposes novell concepts in law: Innocent till proven guilty, and due process principles   (8/18/1999)

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