Morocco moves forward on human rights issues, American organisation

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based organisation, reported that the kingdom has moved forward on human rights issues.

Concerning The public hearings that the Justice and Reconciliation Commission "IER," has set up since last December to seek out-of-court settlement of past human rights breaches committed in the Kingdom in the period between 1956 and 1999, Victims and relatives of victims of disappearances and arbitrary detention are presenting testimonies before the Moroccan public in a series of hearings broadcast on national television and radio.

On its last monthly "Arab Reform Bulletin," the organisation said that IER was established by King Muhammad VI in January 2004 to investigate cases of disappearances and detention that occurred between 1956 and 1999.

The bulletin said also that the Moroccan cabinet endorsed a bill on December 28 that amends the existing criminal code to prohibit torture as defined by the International Convention against Torture.

Morocco also signed the Arab Charter on Human Rights on December 27, becoming the fourth Arab country to do so. Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have also signed the Charter, which was approved by the Arab League summit in Tunis in May 2004, pointed out the bulletin.

American media widely reported the public hearings describing them as an important step to set up a new relation between governed and governor.

International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), a New York-based organisation, said that the public hearings are a pioneer experience in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and they will have a good impact on the whole region.