UN committee against torture praises Morocco's political will to establish rule of law
Morocco, Politics, 5/12/1999

The UN Committee Against Torture expressed on Tuesday "satisfaction" over measures taken by Morocco to honor its international commitments, when it signed the international convention against torture.

In its "conclusions and recommendations" to the second periodic report submitted by Morocco, the UN body said the Moroccan report and the oral presentation made by the head of the Moroccan delegation complied with the committee directives and were exhaustive.

Among the welcomed measures, the committee cited the evident political will to establish a genuine rule of law and the payment of compensation of political prisoners released by the Moroccan state which is also paying for their medical care.

The committee also hailed the publication in the Moroccan official gazette of the anti-torture convention, signaling, therefore, its enforcement in Morocco, the enforcement of an education and awareness program on the issue of human rights for all law-enforcement personnel and in schools and the improvement of inmates conditions.

Regarding "factors and difficulties hindering the convention enforcement," the commission said it did not note any important factors or difficulties hampering the implementation of the convention in Morocco.

The committee, however, expressed concerns over the persisting absence in the Moroccan criminal law of a clear definition of torture that conforms to the one adopted by the convention and the absence of sanctions against persons found guilty of torture.

The non-conformity of Moroccan laws on expulsion and extradition with the international convention was also criticized by the UN body.

Following these remarks, head of the Moroccan delegation in the UN bodies in Geneva, Benjelloun-Touimi, expressed thanks to the committee for the constructive spirit and promised that Moroccan authorities will do their best to address the expressed concerns.

An observer at the committee, Fernando Mejia who heads non-governmental "World Organization Against Torture," said he kept a "very positive" impression on the session and confided that his report to the organization will be very "favorable."

Previous Stories:
  Egypt, Morocco to submit reports on compliance to anti-torture accord   (4/27/1999)
  Egypt, Morocco to submit reports on compliance to anti-torture accord   (4/27/1999)

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