Morocco committed to ban torture, says ambassador

Moroccan Ambassador to the Geneva-based United Nations has reaffirmed Morocco's commitment to ban all forms of torture, and carry on the democratic process.

While acknowledging the difficulty to weigh up sometimes with accuracy the extent of the phenomenon of torture, I can assure you that Moroccan authorities will continue to exert necessary efforts to tackle all forms of torture, inhumane or degrading treatments," said, here Wednesday, Omar Hilale.

The Moroccan diplomat who was presenting his country's third periodic report before the UN Committee against torture, said that the Moroccan government has adopted a set of measures related to custody, questioning and detention conditions under the new law on prisons. "These measures, he explained, aim at improving detention conditions, incriminating acts of torture and attempts to practice such acts, as well as regulating expulsion and extradition" of foreign illegal immigrants.

Touching on terrorism, Hilale recalled last May 16 terrorist's attacks in Casablanca stressing that the fight against terrorism must not "derail us from the democratic path."

"The fight against terrorism, however its legitimacy, cannot conceal Morocco's attachment to the basic principles of human rights," said the Moroccan ambassador who presented the different legislative and institutional reforms undertaken by Morocco during the past years with the aim to promote public liberties and human rights and comply with Morocco's international commitments.