Reporters Without Borders welcomes release of Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd
Reporters Without Borders expressed its gratitude to King Mohammed VI for pardoning jailed journalists Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd, together with five others journalists.
The pardons were announced for the two on 7 January, along with those of Mustapha Alaoui, Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, Mustapha Kechnini, Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui.
While expressing thanks, "Reporters without Borders nevertheless regretted that the two journalists had to stay in prison so long" said Robert Ménard, secretary general of the international press freedom organisation, adding, "we hope that no journalist will be imprisoned in Morocco in the future."
Ali Lmrabet, editor in chief of Demain Magazine and Douman and correspondent for Reporters Without Borders, was the 2003 laureate of the Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France annual press freedom award.
Lmbaret was sentenced to four years in jail on 21 May 2003, by a court in Rabat for "insulting the king's person", "threatening the integrity of the national territory" and "undermining the monarchy". His sentence was reduced on appeal to three years in jail on 17 June.
Mohammed El-Hourd, managing editor of the weekly Asharq, at Oujda in the northeast of the country, had been remanded in custody on 13 June 2003 and then sentenced on 4 August to three years in prison for "incitement to violence" under the anti-terrorism law.
Mustapha Alaoui, managing editor of the Arabic-language weekly Al Ousboue, had been charged with "condoning acts constituting terrorist crime through publications offered for sale" and sentenced on 11 July 2003 to one year in jail suspended. His publication was banned for three months.
Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, editor in chief of the weekly Asharq, was remanded in custody on 13 June on the order of the king's prosecutor general and then sentenced to one year in prison on 4 August for "incitement to violence."
On 3 November Mustapha Kechnini was sentenced to two years in prison and Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui to 18 months in jail under the press law "for failing to respect the king", "undermining the monarchy" "incitement through printed words to acts likely to harm internal security". The three journalists had appealed and had not been imprisoned.
More than 13 years ago Reporters Without Borders started a "sponsorship" programme, calling on international media to "adopt" a jailed journalist. One hundred and 20 newsrooms around the world thus sponsor a jailed colleague and regularly make appeals to the relevant authorities for their release. They publicise their appeals to ensure that the case is not forgotten. Ali Lmrabet, Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France 2003 prize winner had been supported in this way by : AB3, Agencia IPS, Aqui Madrid, AVUI, Bakeas, Cadena SER, Cambio 16/Espacio de Informacion General (EIG), Champs Libres, Club de la presse du Limousin, CNN+ - Onda Cero, Comunica e Inter Press Service, Diario Directo, El Mundo, El Pais, El Periodico de Catalunya, Espana-Hoy, France soir, Fun Radio, La Razon, Genève Home Information, La Vanguardia (Q), Maison de la presse de Charleroi, Radio Babel FM, Tele 5,Tiempo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Vandellós i Associats.
The text of this statement is also available in French and Spanish at: http://www.internet.rsf.org
Reporters Without Borders: http://www.rsf.org
Please also see:
Prize Winners Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France 2003
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1259&blz=1
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Morocco/Western Sahara: Pardon of dozens of political prisoners is positive step
Amnesty International welcomes the royal pardon given today (7 January) to around 25 political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, and several others who were being tried on political charges.
"The pardon is a significant step in the right direction," said Amnesty International. "It is the first royal pardon since 2001 to include political prisoners. We hope that the Moroccan authorities will take further measures by addressing, as a matter of urgency, the dozens of outstanding cases of political prisoners detained after conviction in unfair trials."
Among those pardoned are human rights defenders, journalists and Islamist activists on whose cases Amnesty International has been campaigning, sometimes for many years. These include Ali Lmrabet, a Moroccan journalist sentenced to three years' imprisonment in June 2003, and Ali Salem Tamek, a human rights defender from Western Sahara who was serving a two-year sentence he received in October 2002.
Moroccan authorities must deal with the dozens of outstanding cases of political prisoners in the country. Some were sentenced in the 1980s and 1990s, but the vast majority were imprisoned after unfair trials last year on suspicion of planning or inciting violent acts attributed to Islamists, such as the May 2003 attacks in Casablanca. Many of those sentenced were allegedly tortured in custody to extract confessions or to force them to sign or thumbprint statements they rejected.
Amnesty International also urges the Moroccan government to ensure that its ongoing revision of existing legislation culminates in changes in domestic law which guarantee compliance with the country's obligations under international human rights treaties. In particular, all provisions that permit prison sentences for the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression must be removed and further safeguards for fair trials introduced.
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org
Please also see:
Miami Federal Court Has "Secret Docket" To Keep Some Cases Hidden From Public
By Ann W. O'Neill
Staff Writer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.rense.com/general47/secret.htm
The Nameless and the Detained
The Desaparecidos of George W. Bush
By BRUCE JACKSON
Counterpunch: http://www.counterpunch.com/jackson12202003.html
Reporters Without Borders expressed its gratitude to King Mohammed VI for pardoning jailed journalists Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd, together with five others journalists.
The pardons were announced for the two on 7 January, along with those of Mustapha Alaoui, Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, Mustapha Kechnini, Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui.
While expressing thanks, "Reporters without Borders nevertheless regretted that the two journalists had to stay in prison so long" said Robert Ménard, secretary general of the international press freedom organisation, adding, "we hope that no journalist will be imprisoned in Morocco in the future."
Ali Lmrabet, editor in chief of Demain Magazine and Douman and correspondent for Reporters Without Borders, was the 2003 laureate of the Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France annual press freedom award.
Lmbaret was sentenced to four years in jail on 21 May 2003, by a court in Rabat for "insulting the king's person", "threatening the integrity of the national territory" and "undermining the monarchy". His sentence was reduced on appeal to three years in jail on 17 June.
Mohammed El-Hourd, managing editor of the weekly Asharq, at Oujda in the northeast of the country, had been remanded in custody on 13 June 2003 and then sentenced on 4 August to three years in prison for "incitement to violence" under the anti-terrorism law.
Mustapha Alaoui, managing editor of the Arabic-language weekly Al Ousboue, had been charged with "condoning acts constituting terrorist crime through publications offered for sale" and sentenced on 11 July 2003 to one year in jail suspended. His publication was banned for three months.
Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, editor in chief of the weekly Asharq, was remanded in custody on 13 June on the order of the king's prosecutor general and then sentenced to one year in prison on 4 August for "incitement to violence."
On 3 November Mustapha Kechnini was sentenced to two years in prison and Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui to 18 months in jail under the press law "for failing to respect the king", "undermining the monarchy" "incitement through printed words to acts likely to harm internal security". The three journalists had appealed and had not been imprisoned.
More than 13 years ago Reporters Without Borders started a "sponsorship" programme, calling on international media to "adopt" a jailed journalist. One hundred and 20 newsrooms around the world thus sponsor a jailed colleague and regularly make appeals to the relevant authorities for their release. They publicise their appeals to ensure that the case is not forgotten. Ali Lmrabet, Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France 2003 prize winner had been supported in this way by : AB3, Agencia IPS, Aqui Madrid, AVUI, Bakeas, Cadena SER, Cambio 16/Espacio de Informacion General (EIG), Champs Libres, Club de la presse du Limousin, CNN+ - Onda Cero, Comunica e Inter Press Service, Diario Directo, El Mundo, El Pais, El Periodico de Catalunya, Espana-Hoy, France soir, Fun Radio, La Razon, Genève Home Information, La Vanguardia (Q), Maison de la presse de Charleroi, Radio Babel FM, Tele 5,Tiempo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Vandellós i Associats.
The text of this statement is also available in French and Spanish at: http://www.internet.rsf.org
Reporters Without Borders: http://www.rsf.org
Please also see:
Prize Winners Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France 2003
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1259&blz=1
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Morocco/Western Sahara: Pardon of dozens of political prisoners is positive step
Amnesty International welcomes the royal pardon given today (7 January) to around 25 political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, and several others who were being tried on political charges.
"The pardon is a significant step in the right direction," said Amnesty International. "It is the first royal pardon since 2001 to include political prisoners. We hope that the Moroccan authorities will take further measures by addressing, as a matter of urgency, the dozens of outstanding cases of political prisoners detained after conviction in unfair trials."
Among those pardoned are human rights defenders, journalists and Islamist activists on whose cases Amnesty International has been campaigning, sometimes for many years. These include Ali Lmrabet, a Moroccan journalist sentenced to three years' imprisonment in June 2003, and Ali Salem Tamek, a human rights defender from Western Sahara who was serving a two-year sentence he received in October 2002.
Moroccan authorities must deal with the dozens of outstanding cases of political prisoners in the country. Some were sentenced in the 1980s and 1990s, but the vast majority were imprisoned after unfair trials last year on suspicion of planning or inciting violent acts attributed to Islamists, such as the May 2003 attacks in Casablanca. Many of those sentenced were allegedly tortured in custody to extract confessions or to force them to sign or thumbprint statements they rejected.
Amnesty International also urges the Moroccan government to ensure that its ongoing revision of existing legislation culminates in changes in domestic law which guarantee compliance with the country's obligations under international human rights treaties. In particular, all provisions that permit prison sentences for the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression must be removed and further safeguards for fair trials introduced.
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org
Please also see:
Miami Federal Court Has "Secret Docket" To Keep Some Cases Hidden From Public
By Ann W. O'Neill
Staff Writer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.rense.com/general47/secret.htm
The Nameless and the Detained
The Desaparecidos of George W. Bush
By BRUCE JACKSON
Counterpunch: http://www.counterpunch.com/jackson12202003.html