Following the Court of Appeal’s decision in Casablanca against the detainees of the Rif Movement (rural movement), people expressed their discontent with the provisions of the Court of First Instance, where many human rights activists stressed that this decision was expected and it is a real setback in the history of the Moroccan judiciary. They also highlighted that the detainees’ case was like a burden for the state, and they did not estimate that they would resort to the veto after they boycotted the appeal.
The Court of Appeal in Casablanca concluded, last Friday, the rural movement file, after long sessions of discussions between the accused and the governing body, sentencing the activists in prison, as a first stage .. Thus, the body ruled 20 years of prison for Nasser Zafzafi, the leader of the movement, Wassim Bustati and Samir Aghid.
Abdel-Ilah El-Khodary, the head of the Moroccan Centre for Human Rights, said in statements to the media that the support of the initial appeals was expected, pointing to the lack of fair trial rules stating: "We are facing a trial of a political nature and background, par excellence, except for the few exceptional cases, which cannot be assessed. Maybe the absence of the accused from the hearings is an evidence of their understanding of this verdict."
El-Khodary added that the state is determined to defame and criminalize any movement that is against the states’ miserable political, economic and social conditions through peaceful protests by targeting the activists who are at the heart of the protests. In fact, the only solution for such problem would be their exemption.
The human rights activists stressed also that this trial will contribute to more tension for the successive generations, especially that the reasons behind the protests in Al Hoceima, Jarada, Zakoura and others are still the same and the situation is worsening, and that the civil society are making efforts to resolve some disputes and return the rights of people, however no one of the public authorities’ representatives reacted to these efforts.
They stressed that using the policy of repression against the protesters will not withstand for so long, regarding the systematic undermining of opportunities for having a decent living versus the spread of inequality among citizens, and the legitimate aspirations for democracy and human rights, and the fight against corruption, tyranny and the looting of wealth.
#unjust_verdicts #Rif_Movement #Morocco
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