Morocco refutes Amnesty International's conclusions on the human rights situation

Moroccan authorities have rejected the allegations and positions adopted by Amnesty International (AI) which aim to undermine the Kingdom's efforts to strengthen human rights.

In response to Amnesty International's annual report on the human rights situation in the MENA region in 2019, the Moroccan authorities underline that they have made the choice of consolidating achievements in human rights, openness, dialogue and collaboration with UN mechanisms and NGOs working in this area.

The Moroccan authorities indicate that they have taken note of the NGO's report and its chapter dedicated to Morocco, presented by the AI Moroccan section at a press conference held Tuesday in Rabat.

In this regard, they note that AI continues to use generalities and assessments that are not based on concrete data, which proves that the methodology adopted in the preparation of this report lacks objectivity and transparency and remains marked by selectivity.

The allegations included in the report, which refer to the failure to «carry out enough investigations into alleged torture and ill-treatment» and «unfair trials», are unfounded and fake news, the Moroccan authorities stressed, adding that these allegations do not take into account the efforts made by the Kingdom in the fight against torture.

As for the alleged «harassment of journalists, bloggers, artists and activists for having expressed their opinions in a peaceful manner» and the fact that some of them were brought to justice, the Moroccan authorities say these are erroneous assessments insofar as the NGO highlights cases taken out from their context.

Moreover, the very few individuals concerned have been sentenced for ordinary crimes and cannot escape justice because of their statutes.

The Moroccan authorities have also expressed their astonishment over the NGO's attempt to undermine associative action in Morocco, while the national association network and associative activities are growing exponentially, as evidenced by the various activities of AI’s section in the Kingdom.