Release of CA's ASDHOM on past violations of human rights in Morocco
The Board of ASDHOM, Sunday, October 18, 2009 meeting, wishes to express its concerns about developments in the situation of human rights in Maroc.En effect, all indicators are red. Freedoms of citizens, activists and politicians, journalists and human rights are undermined when it is "crossing" of the sacrosanct "red lines": the monarchy, religion and territorial integrity.
First the royal family
Three journalists are being prosecuted and sentenced Thursday, Oct. 15 to prison for having dealt with the King's health. The journalist Chahtane, editor of the weekly Al-Mishaal, was sentenced to one year in prison and 10,000 dirhams fines, with warrant of arrest and immediate incarceration. His two other colleagues, and Mustapha Rachid MHAMDI Hiran, were sentenced to three months in prison and a fine of 5000 Dirhams. Two other journalists
appear this Friday, October 23 before the court for "lack of respect for the royal family." The editor of the daily Akhbar Al-Youm, Taoufiq Bouachrine, and artist-cartoonist, Gueddar, are charged with a cartoon showing the prince Moulay Ismail. Despite the apology, made by the managing editor who claims not to disrespect and undermine like the prince, the 2 journalists face up to 5 years imprisonment! Recall that the offending newspaper's headquarters was sealed by the interior ministry has also banned the publication of Al-Akhbar Yum has more than twenty days now putting the sixty-four employees on the floor, without any legal decision.
There is little time to come, August 1, the same Department of the Interior ordered the seizure of any illegal numbers 100,000 copies of the magazine Tel Quel and Nichane who were still in press and destruction in the premises same their letters. The Moroccan authorities accuse them of trying to publish, in partnership with the French newspaper Le Monde an opinion poll on the outcome of the ten-year reign of the King. The issue of the daily Le Monde has been banned from sale in Morocco. Although results from this research can be likened to a plebiscite for the government spokesman, "the monarchy could be debatable, even in a poll!
Then religion:
During the month of Ramadan, six youth movement claiming MALI (Alternative Movement for Individual Freedom) have été interpellés pour le seul fait d’avoir exprimé leur souhait via le site de Facebook de se retrouver le dimanche 13 septembre 2009 avec d’autres membres du mouvement, dans une forêt aux environs de Mohammedia, pour un pique-nique. Par cette volonté de rompre le jeûne de ramadan, collectivement et dans un endroit isolé, ces jeunes citoyens ont voulu protester contre un article du code pénal (Article 222) qui punit la non observation du jeûne de ramadan au Maroc : « Celui qui, notoirement connu pour son appartenance à la religion musulmane, rompt ostensiblement le jeûne dans un lieu public pendant le temps de ramadan, sans motif admis par cette religion, est puni de l'emprisonnement d'un à six mois et d'une amende de 12 à 120 dirhams.»Zineb el-Rhazoui et Ibtissame Lachgar, deux animatrices et cofondatrices du MALI, sont toujours persécutées. Elles ont été empêchées de quitter le territoire, pour assister à une rencontre-débat à Paris sur la liberté de conscience et de culte, organisée le 19 octobre par l’association «Manifeste des Libertés. » La mesure d’interdiction de sortie du territoire a été prise par le procureur et signifiée à leur avocat, Mr Jamai, alors qu’aucune poursuite judiciaire n’a été engagée contre les deux jeunes femmes et les autres membres du mouvement, interpellés le 13 septembre 2009…
Finally territorial integrity:
Seven activists from the Sahara, known for their political associations and were arrested Oct. 8 after getting out of plane in Casablanca. These Saharawis returned from a trip to Algeria where they visited the camps of Tindouf. After a week of interrogation by the secret services, they were brought before the military court in Rabat ...! The authorities blame the seven protagonists (Tamek, Brahim Dahan, Ahmad Anasiri, dagje Lachgar, Yahdih Ettarrouzi Rashid Saleh and Sghayar Lebayhi) their opinions and positions policies on the Sahara issue, so that their commitment is a secret. Some are former political prisoners, or victims of enforced disappearance during the years of lead and / or members of associations of rights humains.Ces arrests violate a basic right, that of freedom of opinion and expression , as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular its Article 19 which stipulates: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which implies the right not to freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information regardless of frontiers, information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers. "A military court and the resurgence of a media lynching campaign are fearing the worst for the 7 arrested in particular and freedoms in general.
Vigilance
The wind blowing through our country, our pain and revives memories remind us of a past not long ago, when the arbitrary has emerged over the days and months to lead to claims "years of Lead. "The ASDHOM, founded 25 years ago (1984) for its contribution to the struggle Democrats Moroccan families of political prisoners and disappeared persons and to denounce the repression that prevailed in Morocco, can not express: - his concern about large-scale violations of basic rights of Moroccan citizens - its requirements for the Moroccan authorities consistent with this logic and repressive security based on so-called "red lines" The ASDHOM, calls on all supporters of human rights and their organizations to greater vigilance and unity of action to enforce our shared wish for a genuine rule of law.
Paris, October 21, 2009
The Board of ASDHOM
