Moroccan NGO's hold national colloquy on serious human rights violations

A group of Moroccan non-governmental organizations and the German Frierich Ebert Foundation opened on Friday a national colloquy to look into "serious human rights violations in Morocco: for a comprehensive, fair and just settlement."

The colloquy features four workshops on truth, compensation, rehabilitation, state responsibility and institutional and legislative reforms.

Speakers at the opening session noted that the event is a historic and very important moment where the past, the present and the future intermingle. They also said it is an unprecedented act for the consecration of human rights principles and the rule of law.

Participants also pleaded for a new approach to the problem on the basis of truth, acknowledgment by the state of its responsibility, safeguarding the memory, rehabilitating victims and undertaking the needed institutional and legislative reforms.

The opening session took place in the presence of human rights minister, Mohamed Aujjar, chairman of the Arab human rights institute, Brahim Bakouch, heads of Moroccan human rights organization and delegates of political parties.