Justice Commission efforts described positive by ICTJ officer
Morocco, Politics, 5/11/2005

The efforts to investigate past human rights violations in Morocco, to unveil truth and to process complaints by the Justice and Reconciliation Commission (IER) are positive, for they represent "an important experience and a first in North Africa and the Middle east," said Hanny Megally.

Megally, director of the North Africa and Middle East program at the New-York-based International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), said in Al-Hoceima Sunday the center, which will write a report on the IER action, hails the Moroccan experience taking into account the actions made by the commission, which was created in January 2004 to shed light on past human rights breaches committed between 1956 to 1999.

ICTJ officer, visiting the Northern Moroccan town of Al Hoceima to attend the IER 7th edition of public hearings to be held here on May 3rd, said such hearings worldwide are held to enable the victims speak of the violations they were object to, pointing out the truth and justice seeking process differs from country to country.

He said there was no single model of transitional justice, for every country has its own specificities, adding it is essential to learn from world experiences.

Megally said the goal is not always to settle accounts, for there are more important aspects to deal with so that society arrives at recognizing what was done, making up for the harm and knowing the truth.

On the eve of Al Hoceima IER meeting, several civil society organisations of the Moroccan Northern region called for the implementation of the program on the reparation of the social and economic collective prejudice entailed by the Rif region exclusion from development projects.

At a working meeting with IER representatives, held here Sunday, the NGOs stressed the need to restore trust among the region's population and endeavor to develop the region and avoid the repetition of human rights violations.

IER Abdelhay El Moudden told, last Friday, students in the town of Kenitra, 30 km North of Rabat, the 7th public hearings of al Hoceima is "an opportunity to reconcile with a region that lived one of the most grave violations in the history of Morocco."

He explained the violations occurred in 1958 and 1959 upheaval and during the social tensions of 1984.

Ten people will speak at Al Hoceima public hearings to tell of the human rights violations that took place in the region between 1956 and 1999.

The Justice and Reconciliation commission started last December a series of public hearings in Rabat, then in 2005 in Figuig and Errachidia (South-East), Khenifra (center) and Marrakech (central South).

Previous Stories:
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  IRCT praises Morocco's efforts to rehabilitate victims of torture   (5/9/2005)
  Rights violations victims revisit post-1984 events   (5/5/2005)
  Shedding light on 1956-59 events will help avoid violations repetition, former detainee relative   (5/5/2005)
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