Amnesty International has today voiced serious concern about the situation of “prisoners of conscience” in Morocco and urged the Moroccan authorities to immediately release more than 400 of detained over protests in Morocco’s neglected Rif region.
“The crackdown on Rif protesters in recent months has been relentless. The authorities must free Nasser Zefzafi and others detained for protesting peacefully or covering demonstrations online. They are prisoners of conscience,” ,
Amnesty said.
The London-based organisation added that since May 2017, Moroccan security forces have arrested “hundreds of protesters” including teenagers and journalists during protests that were generally peaceful.
Amnesty added that Activists continue to face arrests in the Rif region and authorities continue to impose protest bans, including recently on 28 October in the towns of Nador and Al Hoceima on the first anniversary of the death of fishmonger Mouhcine Fikri. His fatal crushing in a garbage truck while attempting to recover confiscated swordfish had ignited protests that crystallized into the Hirak protest movement.
Read here Amnesty’s Full Statement
[ads1]
