King agrees to pardon persons guilty of offense against state security and to indemnify families of missing
Morocco, Politics, 4/9/1999

King Hassan II of Morocco has agreed on a proposal made by the Human Rights Advisory Council to grant free pardon to all prisoners, convicted of offense to state security and to indemnify families of reported "missing" people.

The Human Rights Advisory Council (CCDH) has addressed to King Hassan II a memorandum asking the king, "now that the issue of so-called missing persons has been definitively settled, to grant free pardon to all the persons found guilty of offense against the state security."

The Memorandum text says the Council members are asking the King to grant "his pardon to all persons found guilty of crimes of offense against the security and safety of the state, and to persons having participated or incited to this crime, with all the consequences entailed as regards the response of relevant authorities and their auxiliary services to protect the safety and security of the state."

The memorandum recalls that in 1994, the King gave his blessing to a consultative opinion issued by the Council to look into the cases of so-called missing persons. The CCDH considers the year 1994 as a historic stage since a total free pardon had been granted to a group of citizens, living in Morocco or abroad, enabling their reunion with their families and enabling them to live in stability, security and safety in their homeland.

The council members consider that the issue of so-called missing persons, whose number was set at 112 cases, was definitively settled after all cases were examined by the council members who are convinced that all the needed investigations were conducted and that, consequently, some cases, among the so-called missing persons, do not meet the international criteria of circumstances of forced disappearance.

The King also agreed to set an arbitration body proposed by the CCDH to set the amount of compensations to be granted to the concerned persons (reported missing) or their legal successors. The Moroccan Human Rights Advisory Council "CCDH" said the sovereign has given the green light to a CCDH proposal to grant compensations to the families of missing persons and to create "an arbitration" body to set the amount of the compensations.

The CCDH considers that with these new decisions, the issue of the 112 "missing people" is definitively closed.

The CCDH, which was set up by the King in 1990, is a national institution in charge of protecting and promoting human rights and consolidating a human rights culture in Morocco.

The council, which is independent from the legislative, executive and judiciary powers, issues consultative opinions that are submitted to the king.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco's king amnesties all convicts of attempts on state security   (4/8/1999)
  Morocco and UN human rights commissioner sign accord setting up center in Morocco   (4/6/1999)
  Moroccan human rights council looks into issue of missing people   (4/3/1999)

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