Morocco: Abdelkarim Azzou, tortured in Ait Melloul prison

29 Sep 2009
While studying in his home in Agadir, Abdelkarim Azzou was arrested on 21 June 2003 by police and security services. He was forcibly arrested by four officers dressed in civilian clothing who took him into custody without providing a warrant. His family was only able to re-establish contact with him a month later. He suffered serious torture while in detention and continues to suffer ill-treatment in Ait Melloul prison.

On 29 September 2009, Alkarama submitted his case to the Special Rapporteur on Torture asking him to intervene with the Moroccan authorities in order that his suffering be brought to an end and that adequate medical care be provided to him.

Abdelkarim Azzou, 28, a Moroccan citizen, was a student in Hay Taddart, Agadir, Morocco. He was 22 years old at the time of his arrest.

Initial detention, prison transfers and torture

After being arrested on 21 June 2003 in Agadir, Mr. Azzou was transferred to Maarif police station in Casablanca. On 10 September 2004, he was again transferred to Temara detention centre (notorious for its heavy-handed torture) run by Morocco's internal intelligence service (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, DST). Finally, he was transferred to Ait Melloul prison in Agadir where he is currently being detained.

Sources indicate that Abdelkarim Azzou was subjected to torture from the first instance of his arrest. In what he described as the "worst type of torture of a very cruel nature", he was tormented by intelligence services and police during his initial custody at the detention centre in Agadir. The intelligence services used torture to extract false confessions. Mr. Azzou signed these false confessions without even being able to read them.

In September 2003, three months after his arrest, Mr. Azzou was finally allowed a visit from his lawyer.

Trial, charges, and hunger strikes

In 2004, during what sources describe as "farcical trial" Mr. Azzou was charged with terrorism-related offense and sentence to 20 years imprisonment by the Court of Appeal in Salé. The sentence was eventually reduced to 12 years upon appeal. Evidence used in the trial was based on confessions extracted under torture.

During his trial, Mr. Azzou asked to be examined by a doctor to treat his injuries caused by torture, however his request was refused. Throughout his imprisonment Mr. Azzou has not been provided with medical care and the ill-treatment continues, with beatings a regular occurrence in Ait Melloul prison.  

Currently, Abdelkarim Azzou's health is deteriorating due to his participation in a 40-day hunger strike which began in May 2009. He again went on a hunger strike for 15 days in August 2009 in protest of the terrible conditions of detention, particularly the lack of medical care for his dental problem, which is causing him great pain and preventing him from eating.

Morocco
Torture
Arbitrary Detention
Terrorism / counter-terrorism