Government ready to settle Islamist leader's arrest case

The Moroccan government said it was ready to settle the case of Abdeslam Yassine, the leader of the Islamist Al-Adl Wa Al-Ihssane association (Justice and Welfare), under house arrest since 1989.

The government is ready to contribute to the settlement of the case of Yassine without harming the principle of justice independence, Moroccan human rights minister, Mohamed Aujjar told the weekly question time at the House of Representatives (lower house).

The minister underlined the socialist-led coalition government determination to settle all pending human rights issues in cooperation with the Human Rights Advisory Council (CCDH).

This cooperation, he said, reflects the government's will to handle the human rights dossier "far from any political overbid" or "partisan divergences" and to settle once and for all human rights issue that has been exploited by some foreign circles "to harm Morocco and its sacred values," Aujjar said.

He recalled that the cabinet has set up a ministerial commission in charge of human rights and that the commission has got in touch with several human rights organizations.