Morocco’s opposition is urging King Mohammed VI to pardon former Human Rights Minister Mohamed Ziane, who is serving a five-year sentence on controversial charges. Human rights groups label his imprisonment as politically motivated, stemming from Ziane’s defensive stance on dissidents. The push for his release is part of a broader struggle against governmental repression in Morocco, particularly following dissent-related protests.
The opposition parties in Morocco are intensifying their efforts to persuade King Mohammed VI to grant a royal pardon to Mohamed Ziane, the former Human Rights Minister, who is currently imprisoned for five years due to charges deemed politically motivated by human rights organizations. The Justice and Development Party (PJD), an Islamist group, has made a public appeal, urging the monarch to consider Ziane’s circumstances and humanitarian issues.
Mohamed Ziane, aged 81 and a seasoned lawyer affiliated with the Moroccan Liberal Party (PML), was sentenced in 2023 for alleged corruption and embezzlement tied to the 2015 election campaign. His son and attorney, Ali Reda Ziane, firmly denies these allegations, asserting that the trial aims to retaliate for Ziane’s outspoken defense of journalists and political dissidents.
In addition to the recent five-year sentence, Ziane previously received a three-year sentence in 2022, following 11 charges that included defamation and insulting a public official. Human rights groups have condemned the legal proceedings as unjust and politically driven, with the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Prisoners condemning the actions as a strategy to disgrace and silence Ziane.
Ziane, who served as the Minister of Human Rights from 1995 to 1996, has grown increasingly critical of the Moroccan government. He was specifically highlighted in a 2022 Human Rights Watch report that accused the Moroccan state of suppressing dissent, further complicating his circumstances following his incarceration.
Moroccan opposition factions have consistently called for royal pardons not only for Ziane but also for other political prisoners associated with dissent, such as those arrested during the 2016 Hirak Rif protests. These protests were grounded in demands for social justice and economic equity in the underprivileged Rif region, resulting in multiple imprisonments, including that of key leader Nasser Zefzafi, who received a 20-year prison sentence.
Efforts to secure a parliamentary amnesty for Ziane have emerged previously, notably a proposal from the Moroccan Socialist Party in 2022 that was ultimately unsuccessful. King Mohammed VI, with exclusive authority over royal pardons, has a history of exercising this power during national and religious events. He granted pardons to several imprisoned critics last year during his 25th-anniversary celebrations.
The next anticipated royal pardon is set for the Eid following Ramadan in April. However, the pardon process typically requires formal requests for forgiveness, which many activists perceive as an additional humiliation. Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi emphasized the need for detainees to seek a pardon, indicating that the King is attentive to the public interest.
Local activists express that this situation transcends the plight of a single individual, articulating that it symbolizes the broader message that dissent carries consequences. Furthermore, a crackdown on dissent in recent years has also involved punitive actions against activists advocating pro-Palestinian stances, who have faced significant jail sentences linked to their protests against Morocco’s normalization with Israel.
The push for the release of Mohamed Ziane highlights ongoing tensions within Morocco regarding political dissent and human rights advocacy. Ziane’s legal troubles were precipitated by his notable critiques of the government, particularly its repressive actions against dissenters and journalists. The Moroccan political landscape is further complicated by the history of protests that seek greater social justice, such as those in the Rif region, which reflect widespread dissatisfaction with the state’s policies. This backdrop sets the stage for the current calls for Ziane’s pardon and signals persistent challenges faced by those who oppose the regime.
The Moroccan opposition’s campaign for Mohamed Ziane’s royal pardon underscores the larger issues concerning political repression and human rights within the country. Ziane’s imprisonment raises questions about the legality and motivations behind the charges against him, with many alleging that they are attempts to silence dissent. The ongoing efforts to advocate for his release, alongside the broader struggle for political reform, illustrate the complexities of navigating dissent in Morocco today.
Original Source: www.newarab.com
