In the context of the procedure known as the "List of Issues to Address" before the submission of the Kingdom of Morocco’s report to the Human Rights Committee, Alkarama submitted a contribution to UN experts on April 28, 2025, highlighting the persistent violations of the State Party's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
In this submission, Alkarama raised several key issues, including:
A Weakened Judiciary Under Executive Control
Despite the 2011 constitutional reform and the expressed intent to align with international standards, the independence of the judiciary remains severely compromised. The presidency of the Higher Council of the Judiciary by the King, as well as the majority composition of its members appointed by the executive, hinders any real autonomy.
The case of Me Mohamed Zian, 81 years old, former Minister for Human Rights and former Bar President of Rabat, sentenced to three years in prison in November 2022 following an unfair trial for criticizing government members, illustrates the instrumentalization of the judiciary as a tool of political repression.
Following Alkarama's submission to the Human Rights Committee in February 2024, the Committee issued urgent interim measures, which the State Party, however, refrained from implementing, thus demonstrating its refusal to cooperate with the UN body.
Torture and Ill-Treatment in Detention: Persistent Practices
Despite Morocco’s adherence to the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol, Alkarama has reported the continuation of ill-treatment in detention. The National Human Rights Council (CNDH), designated as the national prevention mechanism in 2018, suffers from a lack of independence, which prevents it from acting efficiently.
The case of Mohamed Hajib, tortured and then convicted after an unfair trial based solely on confessions extracted under torture, remains emblematic. In 2022, the relevant Committee recognized the State’s responsibility for the treatment inflicted on Hajib, but none of the investigative or remedial measures requested from Morocco have been implemented to date.
Fundamental Freedoms: Rights Guaranteed but Not Protected
Violations of the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association continue.
Activists such as Mohamed Attaoui, an environmental defender targeted for denouncing the massacre of Atlas cedars and the trafficking of cedar wood, or Driss Sedraoui, arrested after a public speech in 2021, illustrate the repression of any voice that contests the authorities.
Critical organizations such as Racines are dissolved on arbitrary grounds, further shrinking the civic space into silence.
Counter-Terrorism: A Misused Legal Framework
The anti-terrorism law, adopted in 2003 and aggravated in 2015, continues to be invoked to repress peaceful opinions or expressions, under the pretext of "glorification" or "incitement to terrorism." The ambiguity surrounding these concepts allows the authorities to repress even peaceful political or media activities and seriously undermines the exercise of fundamental freedoms, fostering an atmosphere of surveillance and censorship.
Through this contribution, Alkarama aims to open the door for a thorough examination of the situation in Morocco and also seeks to encourage the authorities to take concrete measures to improve the human rights situation in the country.
In this regard, Alkarama remains committed to continuing its efforts in this direction through collaboration with UN mechanisms and concerned actors.