Amnesty International praises Morocco's 'Increasing openness on human rights'
Morocco, Politics, 1/27/2005

Amnesty International has welcomed "greater openness (in Morocco) on human rights, including in public debates about the legacy of past violations, and encouraging signs of progress towards greater respect for the rule of law."

Head of an AI delegation that visited Morocco this Jan-5-21 said "we have been impressed by the increasing openness and seriousness with which human rights issues are being tackled at many levels, both within civil society and the authorities."

Senior director at the London-based human rights group Claudio Cordone also hoped that "this climate will encourage the right approach to current and past human rights concerns."

The AI release points out that Morocco's justice minister, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, "assured Amnesty International that investigations had recently been opened into several allegations of torture raised by the organization." He also "shared the latest initiatives by the government to combat torture, including a new draft law reflecting international standards."

Amnesty International further said it supports efforts made by the Justice and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past abuses committed between 1956 and 1999, hailing the holding of public hearings as "unprecedented in Morocco and the Arab world."

The commission was set last January to seek out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses. It has already held two hearing sessions of victims and their families and is scheduled to start on January 29 in Figuig (south-eastern Morocco) the third session of these hearings.

"These are essential components of any process which aims at establishing the truth about past human rights violations," AI says.

"The commission is a refreshing and bold initiative. It can play a crucial role in ensuring justice in Morocco and encouraging similar processes in other countries still struggling with the legacy of human rights violations," said Claudio Cordone.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan human rights association denied existence of any spokesperson abroad   (1/26/2005)
  Southern associations denounce Polisario practices as contrary to ICRC recommendations   (1/26/2005)
  Next public hearing of human rights victims to be held in Figuig   (1/26/2005)

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