Morocco may follow others using terrorism as excuse to diminish human rights
Morocco, Politics, 1/10/2003

Morocco's human rights minister, Mohamed Aujjar, denied in Rabat on Wednesday alleged cases of abduction in Morocco.

Responding to a question at the Chamber of representatives (upper chamber of parliament), on "reported cases of abductions of several citizens in violations of laws and conventions," Aujjar emphasized that "it is inconceivable to allow for the return of such practices, after the great strides made by Morocco in human rights and the Kingdom's decision to turn over the page and compensate victims of abductions and arbitrary detention."

He further said that after the publication of such information, his department, proceeded in close cooperation with the ministries of Interior and Justice, to investigations that revealed that "all measures that had been undertaken against these persons were initiated in application of instructions of the public prosecutor at the Casablanca court of appeal, within the framework of investigations on extremist cells."

Many of these persons appeared before court, which put them on remand, he said, adding that members of another group were released after interrogation, while others are on the run. This third group includes persons who had stayed for various periods of time in Afghanistan, where they trained on arms and explosives handling before they returned to Morocco.

He went on that in case of violations of judicial procedures there's room to sue violators before competent jurisdictions, recalling a memo of the minister of Justice to prosecutors calling them to consolidate the rule of law, protect individual and collective rights and liberties, and to guarantee security and stability.

He further said that the government is about to disclose a package of amendments of the penal code and procedure, among others, the extension of the preventive detention period to face up crimes threatening both internal and external security of the state. "By so doing Morocco follows suit of other democratic countries in their endeavours to fight terrorism," he stressed.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco: call for the support of female candidates in communal elections   (1/9/2003)
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  The politics of terrorism has hidden agendas, Amnesty International   (5/29/2002)

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