I was inflicted all forms of physical and psychological torture, human rights abuse victim
Morocco, Politics, 2/8/2005

Ms Fatema Ameziane narrated in the 5th session of public hearings in past human rights victims how she and her children were inflicted all forms of physical and psychological torture, including death threat.

Ms Ameziane who was arrested in 1972 said that in addition to these tortures, she was also threatened of rape and her daughter born while she was in detention was severely under-nourished.

Delivering a testimony at the 5th session of the public hearings into human rights violations committed between 1956 and 1999 in Morocco, she related how she was held together with her children at the police station of Kenifra for four months.

She was again kidnapped with her children after her husband escaped following the events of March 1973 during which "armed opposition," activities of the secret Ittihadi movements and those of elements of the "Tanzim" organization, that sneaked into Morocco from Algeria and Libya, spread into small groups in Khenifra, Guelmim, Tinghir and Figuig.

All members of these movements were arrested by September 1973, and brought before justice in military courts which condemned 19 people to capital punishment, 15 to life sentences, while others were sentenced to prison terms up to 30 years.

During operations conducted by the Royal Army Forces to crack down on these groups, serious human rights breaches have taken place in the region.

The woman who was released after another six months of detention seized the opportunity of the public hearings to request the restitution of her property

The hearings are held by the Justice and Reconciliation commission set up in January 2004 to seek out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses.

Previous Stories:
  Fifth session of public hearings into human rights violations this Sunday in Khenifra   (2/7/2005)
  Amnesty International welcomes Morocco's draft law on torture   (2/7/2005)
  Sahrawi human rights advocacy association protests Reporters sans frontieres release   (2/7/2005)

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