Hearing on past human rights abuses in Morocco to start next week
Morocco, Politics, 12/17/2004

Victims of past human rights abuses in Morocco, will start to testify in public next Tuesday, announced, in Rabat Wednesday, The Equity and reconciliation Commission which will be organizing these hearings throughout the country.

These hearings, organized by the Commission, set up last January to look into cases of "disappearance" and arbitrary detention which occurred between 1956 and 1999, will be open to national and foreign journalists and non-governmental organizations and will be broadcast on national radio and television.

The initiative was welcomed by Moroccan Human Rights Organizations as well as by other international organizations such as Amnesty International (AM)

The London-based organization said hearings are designed to give victims and relatives of victims the opportunity to present, for the first time before the Moroccan public, testimonies of "disappearance" and arbitrary detention.

This step represents an important milestone on the road to addressing grave human rights violations of the past, said AM that described the hearings as "unprecedented in the Middle East and North Africa."

Amnesty International hoped that the "hearings will help restore dignity to survivors and families of the "disappearance" by giving some of them the opportunity to be heard in public and contribute to advancing their decades-long struggle for truth and justice."

Around 200 victims, families of victims and witnesses of violations are due to participate in the hearings, which are scheduled to take place in 10 different cities, starting in the capital, Rabat, over a period of around 10 weeks. Most are expected to have already submitted information on their case to the Commission in writing or during private hearings or both.

Participants will have around 20 minutes each to present their testimony and will be allowed to use their own narrative style, speak in the language of their choosing and be accompanied by family members or friends for moral support.

However, Amnesty International voiced concern that participants are not permitted to identify individuals responsible for the violations on which they will testify and have to sign an agreement with the Commission to this effect before their hearing.

Previous Stories:
  Sahara issue source of concern to international public opinion, Belgian official   (12/16/2004)
  Amnesty International welcomes public hearings into past violations   (12/16/2004)
  Moroccan rights organization: democracy should become daily life   (12/11/2004)

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

Search