United Nations : Alkarama submits its report on reprisals against those cooperating with UN human rights mechanisms to the Secretary General
On 15 April 2024, Alkarama submitted its report to the UN Secretary General (UNSG) concerning the situation of Mr Mohamed ZIAN (81), a lawyer sentenced at the end of 2022 to three years in prison following an unfair trial for having publicly criticised the security authorities.
Under resolution 12/2, the UN Secretary-General submits to the Human Rights Council an annual report compiling information received on acts of reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights. The report highlights the situation in countries where cooperation with the UN triggers reprisals and intimidation.
In its contribution to the annual report on reprisals, Alkarama submitted information concerning the case of Mr ZIAN, a victim of reprisals for having cooperated with the various UN mechanisms.
Mr ZIANE, prevented from boarding his flight to Geneva
A lawyer and politician, Mr ZIAN was a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 1997 and Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Human Rights from January 1995 to February 1996. He is also the founder of the Moroccan Liberal Party, former President of the Rabat Bar Association and a member of the Madrid Bar Association in Spain.
Mr ZIAN has always been committed to defending fundamental rights and freedoms in his country. He has acted on behalf of numerous political prisoners, whose cases have been brought before the United Nations human rights mechanisms, in particular the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD).
In this context, it has regularly cooperated with Alkarama and other NGOs by providing information about some of its clients who have been victims of arbitrary arrest for political reasons.
It was in the context of this cooperation and at Alkarama's invitation that Mr ZIAN was due to travel to Geneva on 7 November 2022 to attend the 41st session of the Universal Periodic Review of Morocco scheduled for 7 to 18 November 2022 as well as parallel events. However, he was prevented from taking his flight before being arrested on 21 November 2023.
Reprisals for his cooperation
Prior to his departure, Mr ZIAN had clearly indicated to Alkarama, in telephone conversations, his intention to meet with the UN Special Procedures during the session, in order to discuss possible actions on behalf of his clients.
In fact, Alkarama indicated in its report that Mr ZIAN's arbitrary detention and violations of his rights and freedoms stem largely from his direct or indirect cooperation with the United Nations.
In particular, Mr ZIAN had asked Alkarama to submit the case of Mrs Ouahiba KHOURCHECH to the UN special procedures.
A former police officer and head of the department for combating violence against women, Ms KHOURCHECH called on Mr ZIAN to defend her after being pressured and intimidated in her workplace to withdraw her complaint of sexual harassment against her superior.
Since then they have both been subjected to acts of intimidation and reprisals, including defamation, by the Moroccan security services for refusing to withdraw the complaint. While Ms KHOURCHECH decided to leave Morocco to settle in the United States, she finally contacted Alkarama, on the advice of Mr ZIAN, who filed a complaint with the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls.
Furthermore, Mr ZIAN was directly involved in the complaint lodged with the WGAD on behalf of the journalist Toufik BOUACHRINE, by inviting his colleague, Mr Roadney DIXON, to Rabat and providing him with an address in his office.
Alkarama indicated that the Moroccan authorities could not ignore these actions initiated by Mr ZIAN, which explains the reprisals against him today.