Morocco

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Morocco

King Mohammed VI Makhzen Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi Parliament Assembly of Councillors Assembly of Representatives Political parties Elections: 1997 - 2002 - 2007 Regions Human rights Foreign relations Western Sahara conflict

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Morocco’s human rights record is mixed. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Politics of Morocco take place in a framework of a parliamentary Constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Morocco is the Head of government This is a partial list of rulers in Morocco, including the historical precursors to the modern state King Mohammed VI (محمد السادس born in 1963 is the King of Morocco. Makhzen (مخزِن is a Moroccan Arabic term for the governing Elite in Morocco, centered around the king and consisting of royal notables businessmen The Prime Minister (رئيس الوزراء is the head of the government of Morocco but the Prime Minister is appointed by the King of Morocco as the Monarch is Abbas El Fassi ( Arabic: عباس الفاسي; born on September 18, 1940) has served as the Prime Minister of Morocco since The Parliament of Morocco is located in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. The Assembly of Councillors ( Majlis al-Mustasharin) is the upper house of the Parliament of Morocco and has 270 members elected for a nine year term The Moroccan Parliament has two chambers. The Assembly of Representatives (مجلس النواب Majlis al-Nuwab, Assemblée des Répresentants has 325 Political parties in Morocco lists Political parties in Morocco. Elections in Morocco are held on a national level for the Legislature. Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on November 14, 1997. Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on September 27, 2002 Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on 7 September 2007, the second of King Mohammed VI 's reign Regions of Morocco As part of a 1997 decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature 16 new regions (provided below were created Morocco maintains close relations with the European Union, especially the former colonial rulers France and Spain. The history of Western Sahara can be traced back to the times of Carthaginian explorer Hanno the Navigator on the 5th century BCE Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent On the one hand, Morocco has made considerable improvements since the repressive Years of Lead under King Hassan II's reign (1961-99), but under his modernizing son, Mohammed VI, there are still complaints about abuses of power. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Years of Lead (les années de plomb is the term used especially by former opponents to the rule of King Hassan II to describe a period of his rule (mainly the 1960s This is a partial list of rulers in Morocco, including the historical precursors to the modern state King Hassan II (صاحب الجلالة الملك الحسن الثاني class King Mohammed VI (محمد السادس born in 1963 is the King of Morocco. Political power ( Imperium in Latin is a type of power held by a group in a Society which allows administration of some or all of

Contents 1 Democracy and elections 2 Freedom of expression 3 Political persecution 4 Freedom of religion 5 Social rights and equality 5.1 Women and family 5.2 Berber identity 5.3 Homosexuality 6 Police and army reforms 7 Capital punishment 8 2006 CIA Black site controversy 9 Jail Sentence of Fouad Mourtada controversy 10 Human rights organizations and bodies 11 See also 12 External links 13 Notes and sources 14 References

Democracy and elections

For more details on this topic, see Politics of Morocco. Politics of Morocco take place in a framework of a parliamentary Constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Morocco is the Head of government

Morocco’s most recent elections for the lower chamber of parliament in September 2002 and for local government councils in September 2003—were widely regarded as mostly free and fair, but in view of the dominant role of the king in politics, Moroccans lack the ability to change their government. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Moroccan Parliament has two chambers. The Assembly of Representatives (مجلس النواب Majlis al-Nuwab, Assemblée des Répresentants has 325 A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is

Freedom of expression

Main article: Media of Morocco

Freedom of the press is relatively good compared with most other North African and Middle Eastern countries, though many journalists are thought to practice self-censorship. History Early history The first Newspaper to appear in Morocco was an English weekly called "Maghreb Al Aksa" in 1877 Freedom Constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own work ( Blog, Book (s Film (s or other means of expression out Questioning the legitimacy of the monarchy is a taboo. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or The debate on political Islam is severely restricted and it is illegal to question the kingdom's "territorial integrity", i. See also Modern Islamic philosophy, Islamism, Islamic terrorism Political aspects of Islam are derived from the Quran, the Sunna Territorial integrity is the principle under International law that nation-states should not attempt to promote Secessionist movements or to promote Border e. the virtual annexation of the Western Sahara. Annexation ( Latin ad, to and nexus, joining is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity (either adjacent or non-contiguous Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory In 2005 the well known Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet was "banned from practising journalism for 10 years" and fined 50,000 Dirhams (about 4,500 euros) for reporting about conflict in the Western Sahara, according to Reporters Without Borders. Ali Lmrabet (born 1959) is a Moroccan journalist of Berber origin and is a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. As of 2007 Lmrabet is still barred from working as a journalist.

With the appearance in the scene of a few independent francophone magazines, such as Tel Quel and Le Journal Hebdomadaire and their sister Arabic counterparts (i. La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples TelQuel (for as is) ( Slogan: Morocco as it is) is a French-language Moroccan weekly Magazine. Le Journal Hebdomadaire ( French for The Weekly Journal; often shortened to Le Journal Hebdo) is a French language Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language e. Assahifa Al Ousbouia), government control over the media has moved somewhat from direct intervention to more subtle pressures, such as the use of law suits and libel cases. Assahifa Al Ousbouia (for The Weekly Paper) is an Arabic language weekly magazine in Morocco. ^[1]

On May 2, 2007 the New York-based NGO Committee to Protect Journalists published their annual report on the "10 countries where press freedom has most deteriorated" where it has reported that Morocco has "back slided" in terms of press freedom in 2007 after "having been considered as a leader in its region". The City of New York The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ is an independent nonprofit organization based in New York New York, United States ^[2] In the report, Morocco was considered, along with Tunisia, as the country which "sentences the most journalists to prison in the Arab world".

Political persecution

Main article: Years of Lead

Government repression of political dissent has dropped sharply since the mid-1990s. Years of Lead may refer to The Brazilian military dictatorship ( anos de chumbo) from 1964 to 1985 Years of Lead (Italy ( The previous decades are sometimes described as the Years of Lead (Les Années du Plomb), and included forced disappearances, killings of government opponents and secret interment camps such as Tazmamart. Years of Lead may refer to The Brazilian military dictatorship ( anos de chumbo) from 1964 to 1985 Years of Lead (Italy ( A forced disappearance occurs when an organization forces a person to vanish from Public view either by Murder or by simple Sequestration. Tazmamart was a secret prison in south-eastern Morocco at the Atlas Mountains, holding political prisoners To examine the abuses committed during the reign of King Hassan II (1961-1999), the government has set up an Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER), which is to rehabilitate the victims, and pay compensation for state outrages against them. The Equity and Reconciliation Commission (هيئة الإنصاف و المصالح ( French acronym IER for Instance Equité et Réconciliation is a Moroccan ^[3] This has been hailed internationally as a big step forward, and an example to the Arab world. However, the IER has also come under attack from parts of the human rights-community, since its mission was not to reveal the identities of or prosecute human rights offenders, which most of the victims were requesting. ^[4]

There are also persistent allegations of violence against Sahrawi pro-independence and pro-Polisario demonstrators^[5] in Western Sahara, considered by Morocco as its Southern Provinces, and Morocco has been accused of detaining Sahrawi independentists as prisoners of conscience. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ( SADR) (' الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية) is a partially The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Po pular de Li beración de Sa Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory The Southern Provinces or Moroccan Sahara are the Moroccan names for Western Sahara in reference to the provinces of Río de Oro and Saguia el-Hamra ^[6]

In May 2006 a delegation from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) visited the disputed territory of Western Sahara and its report from the visit sharply criticized the lack of basic human rights in the region, in particular regarding the Saharawi population. The secret report has been leaked and can be found at for example ARSO.org.

Later the same year, in October, Morocco stopped a planned and earlier agreed visit of a delegation from the European Parliament. The decision came less than 48 hours before the delegation was to leave for Rabat and Western Sahara. The mission was to study alleged human rights violations from both Polisario and the Moroccan authorities. ^[7][8][9] (texts in English and French).

Morocco claimed that the majority of the members of the delegation were known supporters of the Polisario front, and thus the neutrality of the delegation was not assured. The president of the delegation, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, contested these allegations saying the composition of the group was not for Morocco to decide, and besides Morocco had already earlier accepted the composition of the group and had furthermore been allowed to influence its visiting program.

Freedom of religion

Freedom of religion is generally observed, with some limitations. Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance Although Islam is the official state religion, Moroccans are permitted to practice other faiths, but it is illegal for Muslims to renounce Islam. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Therefore, restrictions apply to Christian proselytizing. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Political activities under the rubric of Islam are also restricted by the state. There still exists a Moroccan Jewish community, although most Jews emigrated in the years following the creation of Israel in 1948. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250000 Jews in the country but fewer PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

Further information: History of the Jews in Morocco , Christianity in Morocco, Roman Catholicism in Morocco

Social rights and equality

Women and family

Main article: Mudawana

In 2005 the Moroccan parliament took steps to improve the status of women and children,^[10] and has passed a new family law, Mudawana, which is widely regarded as very progressive by regional standards. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250000 Jews in the country but fewer Christianity in Morocco appeared since the Roman times Before the arrival of Islam in the 8th century, Berber Christians had The Roman Catholic Mudawana ( مدونة) is the family code of Morocco. Based on the Maliki school of Sunni Islam, the code has been praised For example, men are now permitted only one wife, as opposed to four as permitted in the Qu'ran. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran In addition to being candidates in mixed electoral lists, women have a national list in parliamentary elections that allow them for at least 10% of the seats.

In parallel, and in September 2006, a national observatory to fight violence against women was founded. Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women. Many state departments, administrations, universities as well as national female associations are sought to coordinate efforts together. ^[11]

Main article: Moroccan nationality law

In 2006, the Moroccan citizenship was transferred to the children via the father. Moroccan Nationality law is the subject of the Moroccan Dahir ( Decree) of September 6 1958 official Bulletin Number 2394 Soumya Naâmane Guessous, a Moroccan sociologist has launched a campaign for the transmission of Moroccan citizenship by the mother to her children. Soumya Naâmane Guessous is a Moroccan sociologist, Muslim feminist, champion of Women's rights and author of the book Au-delà de toute The ability for mother to pass their citizenship onto their children does not appear in the Mudawana code but was granted by a royal decision in October 2006. This is a partial list of rulers in Morocco, including the historical precursors to the modern state ^[12]

Berber identity

In October 17, 2001 the Royal institute of the Amazigh culture was founded to maintain and develop the Amazigh languages and culture. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Royal institute of the Amazigh culture ( Institut royal de la culture amazighe - Acronym: IRCAM) (In Neo-Tifinagh "ⴰⵙⵉⵏⴰⴳ ⴰⴳⵍⴷⴰⵏ Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today Berber beliefs or Amazigh beliefs are the beliefs of the indigenous Berber people of North Africa (not to be confused with the Ancient Egyptians

Homosexuality

Main article: Gay rights in Morocco

Homosexuality in Morocco is illegal according to article 489 of the Penal Code and can be punished with anything from 6 months to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of 120 to 1200 Dirhams. Law against gays Article 489 of the Penal Code of Morocco criminalizes “lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society A penal code is a portion of a State 's Laws defining Crimes and specifying the Punishment. The dirham (درهم plural درهمان, دراهم or درهما is the currency of Morocco. Nevertheless, the law is seldom enforced, and homosexual activity is fairly common, especially in the holiday resorts. Relationships are often visibly displayed and money often plays a role where sex is involved. In the community homosexuality remains a taboo and is considered immoral. A taboo is a strong Social prohibition (or ban) against words objects actions or discussions that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group culture Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings

Police and army reforms

In 2006 Morocco started implementing a few reforms related to policing and the army. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces In October 16 of the same year a newly established Groupes urbains de sécurité (GUS) (English: Urban Security Groups) police unit was disbanded. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Groupes urbains de sécurité ( GUS) (also known as "Croatia" ( Urban Security Groups) is a defunct Moroccan Special police unit which English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

While many Moroccans regarded the presence of GUS as a relief, many others considered it as a step back to the rule of the Makhzen. Makhzen (مخزِن is a Moroccan Arabic term for the governing Elite in Morocco, centered around the king and consisting of royal notables businessmen ^[13]

The disbanding came after many criticisms about excesses or abuses of power were noted. Political power ( Imperium in Latin is a type of power held by a group in a Society which allows administration of some or all of Some irresponsible actions of certain members of the unit turned over the public opinion which became discreditory.

GUS were also accused of corruption. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain In many cases, civil offenders used to pay a bribe (between 10 and 20 dirhams) which led to the appearance of the popular nickname; "10 drahem". Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption is an act usually implying money or gift given that alters the behaviour of the recipient in ways not consistent with the duties of that person The dirham (درهم plural درهمان, دراهم or درهما is the currency of Morocco. ^[14]

Capital punishment

Though theoretically capital punishment is still not abolished in Morocco, there has been only one execution in the last 25 years, and it happened in 1993. At one time Capital punishment was used in almost every part of the globe but over the last few decades many Countries have abolished it Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) 198 people were sentenced to death between 1956 and 1993, although there was an 11 year lull in executions between January 1982 and August 1993. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER) estimated 528 persons were killed during Hassan II's reign in both judicial and extra-judicial executions. The Equity and Reconciliation Commission (هيئة الإنصاف و المصالح ( French acronym IER for Instance Equité et Réconciliation is a Moroccan King Hassan II (صاحب الجلالة الملك الحسن الثاني class In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State ^[15]

Discussing the issue in Morocco has been taboo for decades. However, human rights organizations and some liberal media outlets and left-wing political parties led by the Front of Democratic Forces have been attempting to start a capital punishment debate. The Front of Democratic Forces (Front des Forces Démocratiques is a Political party in Morocco. The debate about Capital punishment, colloquially known as the death penalty, is highly controversial As for societal and civil movements, blogs and websites have already started debating the issue. ^[16] The main and the newly created (2003) civil entity Coalition nationale pour l’abolition de la peine de mort au Maroc (CNAPM) (English: National coalition for the abolition of capital punishment in Morocco) which represents seven associations carrying the slogan Ensemble pour l'abolition de la peine de mort (English: Together against capital punishment) is also leading the debate. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

At the political level the situation is paradoxical. Officially, the attitude of the current government is for "de facto" abolition. However, the Ministry of Justice has declared that terrorism is still an obstacle to "de jure" abolition^[17] and death sentences are still being handed down, especially against terrorists. It should be noted that the abolition issue was recommended by the Board of the IER Equity and Reconciliation Commission. The Equity and Reconciliation Commission (هيئة الإنصاف و المصالح ( French acronym IER for Instance Equité et Réconciliation is a Moroccan

In October 2006, it was announced that the issue is scheduled to be presented to the parliament for a vote in spring 2007. October 2006 was a month that began on a Sunday The month was marked by a nuclear test by North Korea that prompted that passing of Resolution 1718 The Parliament of Morocco is located in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A political battle between moderate Islamist parties led by the Justice and Development Party (who advocate the death sentence as being consistent with Sharia laws) and leftist parties is expected to be difficult for both. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only The Justice and Development Party (حزب العدالة والتنمية (Parti de la Justice et du Développement abbreviated to PJD) is the largest opposition Political party Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law.

2006 CIA Black site controversy

Following the terrorist attack in Casablanca in May 2003, human rights groups accused Morocco of mistreating and torturing detainees. The 2003 Casablanca bombings were a series of Suicide bombings on May 16, 2003, in Casablanca, Morocco. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally Some Moroccan and international media have also alleged that the country has established CIA internment camps ("black sites") on its territory, where human rights violations are committed. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all ^[18] On September 2006, activists demanded that Morocco acknowledge the existence of such secret detention centers. ^[19]

Prior to that, Human Rights Watch's Vanessa Saenen had declared on 2005 We have information based on interviews from people who have been in Guantanamo Bay that there are secret detention centres. Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. Even the US government doesn’t bother to hide this, and we have information from released prisoners on Jordan, on Morocco, on Egypt and Libya, but not on Romania and Poland. ^[20]

Jail Sentence of Fouad Mourtada controversy

On Tuesday, February 5^th, 2008, Fouad Mourtada was arrested for the alleged creation of a fake Facebook profile of Prince Moulay Rachid. Fouad Mourtada is a 26-year old Moroccan Engineer who was sentenced by a Casablanca court to three years in prison for creating a fake profile of the king’s Facebook is a social networking Website launched on February 4 2004 His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, also Prince Moulay Rachid ben al-Hassan (الأمير مولي رشيد بن الحسن was born on Mr Mourtada told family members who visited him in jail that he had been blindfolded and beaten unconscious at the time of his arrest.

Despite numerous profiles of other celebrities (41 Nicolas Sarkozy, 10 Prince William of England, Jacque Chirac, Roger Federer, George W Bush, etc) on Facebook, on February 23rd, Fouad Mourtada was sentenced to 3 years in jail for the alleged creation of the fake Facebook profile and fined 10,000 Dirhamrs (~1,350 US Dollars). Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, Roger Federer (ˈrɒdʒə ˈfɛdərər born August 8 1981 is a Swiss professional Tennis player who is currently ranked World No George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Facebook is a social networking Website launched on February 4 2004

On the evening of March 18, 2008, Fouad was released by a royal pardon after spending 43 days in jail.

Human rights organizations and bodies

• Association Marocaine des Droits de l'Homme (AMDH) - a non-profit human rights non-governmental organization founded in June 24, 1979
• Organisation Marocaine des Droits Humains (OMDH) - a non-profit human rights non-governmental organization founded in December 10, 1988
• Conseil Consultatif des Droits de l'Homme (CCDH) - a governmental human rights body founded by late King Hassan II

See also

• List of human rights articles by country
• Human rights in Western Sahara

External links

• Amnesty International USA - Morocco and Western Sahara includes links to annual reports
• Human Rights Watch - Morocco
  • 2006 annual report
  • Morocco's Truth Commission: Honoring Past Victims during an Uncertain Present, November 2005
• International Freedom of Expression Exchange - Morocco - IFEX
• United State Department of State - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
  • 2007 2005 Morocco
  • 2007 2005 Western Sahara
• United States Library of Congress – Country Profile: Morocco Federal Research Division, May 2006

Notes and sources

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. The Observer is a British Newspaper published on Sundays In about the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Radio Netherlands Worldwide ( RNW, short for Radio Nederland Wereldomroep in Dutch) is a public Radio and Television network based The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

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