Total of 609 human rights abuse cases settled
Morocco, Culture, 6/22/2001

An independent arbitration and compensation commission has definitively settled a total of 609 human rights abuse cases and total compensations concerning 376 of these cases were paid to rightful claimants, the Moroccan human rights advisory council (CCDH) announced this Friday.

A group of 712 persons, including direct victims of arbitrary detention in Tazmamart, Kelaat Megouna, Laayoune and Agdez or their inheritors have thus obtained compensations, according to CCDH.

The commission has handled 609 cases and turned down 233 applications for "absence of any link with abuses of forced disappearance and abusive detention." Another 240 applications are being probed.

The CCDH says the commission started its work soon after it was set up by King Mohammed VI in August 1999 and looked into the 5,127 cases submitted to it up to December 1999. It also heard testimonies of over 2,200 persons who complained about direct or indirect harms incurred by arbitrary detention or forced disappearance.

Last July, the commission announced it extended compensations, amounting to $ 14 million (140 million Dirhams) to 68 cases.

The commission comprises three judges, four CCDH members, a delegate of the interior ministry and a delegate of the justice ministry and chaired by a justice.

King Mohammed VI had in his first throne speech (July 30, 1999) renewed Morocco's attachment to human rights and to the rule of law and one of his first decisions was to incept this independent compensation commission.

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