Boston – Amidst the alarming exponential spread of Covid-19 around the world, including in Morocco where it has so far reported 109 cases of the virus and three deaths. the government is obliged to protect the life of all people in their custody, including by immediately releasing all political detainees and prisoners of conscience including members of Rif ‘Hirak’ movement, from crowded and unsanitary prisons to shield them from falling prey to the global pandemic.
Prison cells across Morocco are among the most vulnerable areas to the spread of the Coronavirus Covid-19, as they are often overcrowded and essentially lack proper hygiene and infrastructure necessary to mitigate the spread of the virus to inmates. A single infection of a prison guards, visitors, inmates or detainees of this highly contagious disease would lead to a devastating tragedy in no time.
[ads1]
In late 2017, security forces in Morocco, have arrested hundreds of protesters, including children, women and several journalists over the largely peaceful protests that has sparked in the Rif region to protest against economic neglect, unemployment and state oppression. Now At least 60 of them are currently held in jail, with some handed harsh prison terms of up to 20 years, such as Nasser Zefzafi and Nabil Ahamjik.
According to Amnesty International. The authorities also clamped down on free speech by also heavily censoring media coverage and arresting many social media public figures and also journalist voices who supported the ‘Hirak’ movement like Hamid el Mahdaoui who was sentences for 3 years in prison.
Human Rights Advocates and NGO’s such as Human Right Watch and Amnesty International, have previously made an urgent call to all governments across the world to direct reduction, release of political detainees to prevent Coronavirus spread. Public health experts have also recommended reducing the population in prisons in response to the pandemic.
[ads1]
Also, On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that an outbreak of the viral disease COVID-19 – first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China – had reached the level of a global pandemic. Citing concerns with “the alarming levels of spread and severity,” the WHO called for governments to take urgent and aggressive action to stop the spread of the virus.
With Morocco government lacking the tools to combat the spread of Coronavirus and with the existence of a serious threat to the lives of political prisoners, this raises serious concerns and calls on the international community to press for their immediate release amidst the spread of Covid-19.
[ads1]
