Committee against torture hails Morocco's remarkable efforts to spread human right's culture

The United Nations committee against torture hailed on Thursday Morocco's "remarkable efforts" to disseminate the human rights culture through education and training.

In its final conclusions and recommendations adopted Thursday after it examined Morocco's third periodic report on torture submitted last week, the UN committee said it took note of new positive factors such as the compensation of victims of arbitrary detention, allowing NGOs to visit prisoners and giving human rights culture courses to officials in prisons.

The committee was notably satisfied with the Moroccan delegation's statement on the country's intention to apply the Convention on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The committee lauded Morocco's "political resolve" that was materialized by the release of political prisoners and granting to victims of abusive detention compensations.

The committee against torture also took note of the creation of the Mohammed VI foundation for the integration of prisoners, prisons system reform, new measures to secure health care and the training of prisoners, the creation of Diwan Al Madalim (Ombudsman) and the expansion of the Moroccan human rights advisory council's mandate.

However, the committee recommended that Morocco investigates without delay all allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, especially the cases stated by its arbitration commission. It also recommended that the perpetrators of these acts be appropriately sanctioned and the victims of these practices be fairly compensated.