Morocco: Human Rights Activist Abused in Custody at Fes Police Station
26 Jun 2013
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Haloui told Alkarama he was subjected to ill-treatment in custody at a police station in Fes. He was reportedly beaten and, as a result, his hand was broken and his left eye was bruised. He said he was forced to sign false confession without being able to read the transcript of his interrogation. It was only two days after his arrest that Haloui was able to call his parents to tell them he was in custody.
According to his family, Mr Haloui's lawyer informed the prosecutor about the abuse he had been subjected to. This would have been easy to verify, as Haloui was still carrying the traces of torture on his body. However, the magistrate reportedly refused to take into account this statement and to order a medical exam to verify the allegations.
The following day, Haloui's lawyer filed a criminal complaint, urgently asking for a medical examination of his client. To date, no action has been taken following the oral complaint by the defendant, nor the complaint filed by the lawyer who fears the medical examination will be useless if ordered too late, as the traces left by the ill-treatment would not be visible anymore.
Alkarama submitted Mr Haloui's case to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to ask for his intervention with the Moroccan authorities to remind them of their international obligations under the Convention against Torture. Specifically, the Moroccan authorities are bound to order an investigation into any allegation of torture or ill-treatment, including a medical exam in conformity with international norms as defined in the Istanbul Protocol.