New commission starts receiving compensation requests on past abuses
Morocco, Politics, 1/13/2004

The Equity and Reconciliation Commission, whose 16 members were inaugurated by King Mohammed VI last Wednesday, has set a month deadline (from January 12 to February 13) to receive compensation requests for material and moral damages sustained as a result of past human rights abuses related to forced disappearance and arbitrary detention.

The 16-member Equity and Reconciliation Commission, whose creation was approved last November by King Mohammed VI, will be pursuing out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses related to forced disappearance and arbitrary detention and completing a fair and equitable rehabilitation of victims.

The Commission which is carrying on the work accomplished by the Independent Arbitration Body, said it will study the requests received by the former body after the expiry of the initial deadline of January 2000.

The Equity and Reconciliation Commission, which held on Thursday its first session, will also endeavor to repair other damages inflicted to the victims of arbitrary detention and forced disappearances. In addition, it will formulate proposals and recommendations for the social reintegration, rehabilitation and psychological support of victims.

President of the human rights advisory council (CCDH), Omar Azziman, said in an interview with Moroccan TV channel "TVM," the commission will investigate cases that were not elucidated by the Independent Arbitration Body and will indemnify the victims that were not compensated.

He added that the Commission will examine cases of established deaths and determine burial locations to allow families to visit tombs of their relatives and perform the adequate religious rituals.

The Commission is due to submit an official report on the findings of its investigation and on cases of past human rights violations and give details on conditions where these breaches occurred with recommendations to prevent their recurrence.

Azziman said the report has a "historic value in the assessment of the settlement process (of past human rights abuses) from the very beginning and the determination of circumstances and causes that led to these violations to immunize the society against the repetition of such breaches."

The creation of the commission is part of the reforms ushered in by Morocco to definitely shelve cases of human rights breaches which king Mohammed VI called "thorny."

King Mohammed VI stressed last Wednesday the country's resolve to settle once and for all, the issue of human rights abuses "through further equitable, out-of-court settlements, as well as by healing past wounds and redressing the damage done."

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed' speech on the occasion of the establishment of the Justice and Reconciliation Commission   (1/8/2004)
  Political parties and human rights activists welcome king's pardon to 33 convicts, including journalists   (1/8/2004)
  Morocco poised to definitively shelve past human rights violations cases   (12/2/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search