The CNDH also occasionally investigated cases raised by unrecognized NGOs, especially those that drew internet or international media attention. The government acknowledged Daoudi’s arrest and detention and stated he had been scheduled to have a hearing in 2014, but it was then postponed indefinitely. Sahrawi media outlets and bloggers with opposing views to those of the government often practiced self-censorship on these topics. Western Sahara is a disputed territory and the UK regards its status as undetermined. The government of Morocco enforced strict procedures governing journalists’ meetings with NGO representatives and political activists. Ebba Kalondo, spokesperson of AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat, says the AU supports the self-determination of Western Sahara through a free and fair referendum as decided by the UN Security … Biden announces new incentives to boost vaccination rates, Arab League condemns Israeli air strikes on Gaza, Petrol shortages sweep US as Colonial Pipeline remains down, Instagram, Twitter blame glitch for deleted Sheikh Jarrah posts, Death toll rises as Israel continues air raids on Gaza, Palestinians say 21 killed as Israeli air raids on Gaza continue, Melinda Gates met divorce lawyers when Epstein ties revealed: WSJ, Break the fear barrier and speak up for Palestine, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary national legislative system under which ultimate authority rests with King Mohammed VI, who presides over the Council of Ministers. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. No Moroccan law limits participation of women or members of minorities in the political process, and the participation of women and minorities was similar to that in internationally recognized Morocco. Instead, the United States and France have endorsed a Moroccan “autonomy” plan for Western Sahara that is quite limited in scope and would fail … Moroccan law and practice apply. Conditions improved during the year, but in some cases they did not meet international standards. Government Human Rights Bodies: The same government human rights bodies operated in the territory as in internationally recognized Morocco. The DGAPR reported these prisoners were held in individual prison cells in accordance with international norms and standards and had rights to collective social activities with other inmates. The CNDH made recommendations to the government that some prisoners be transferred to regions close to their families. On April 29, a Laayoune Court of First Instance sentenced Saadouni to seven months in prison and a fine of 5,000 MAD ($500) for assault and drug charges. I also interviewed James A. Baker III, the former U.S. Secretary of State who worked for a referendum in the Western Sahara in the early two-thousands.As part … Moroccan law and practice apply. Moroccan law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but the government generally did not implement the law effectively. Dehani appeared before the Laayoune Court of First Instance in December 2018, where he was charged with defamation and was sentenced to a fine of 2,000 Moroccan dirhams (MAD) ($200). Amnesty International published video footage and witness testimonies indicating that, on July 19, security forces used excessive force to disperse demonstrators after some participants at a street gathering in Laayoune–celebrating an Algerian soccer victory–began waving the Saharan flag. According to the annual report from the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, from May 2018 to May 2019, Morocco had 153 outstanding cases, seven fewer than at the beginning of the reporting period. It also maintained contact with unrecognized NGOs. Generally, the government denied official recognition to NGOs that it considered advocates against Islam’s status as the state religion, the legitimacy of the monarchy, or Morocco’s territorial integrity. The October UN secretary-general’s report on Western Sahara also added that the OHCHR continued to receive reports of harassment and arbitrary arrests of journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders covering human rights violations. Human Rights Watch denounced the charges filed against Khalidi for falsifying professional credentials by engaging in journalistic activities without state-issued accreditation as a journalist. Morocco supported the U.S.–led first Gulf War and offered to mediate the Arab–Israeli conflict in an attempt to persuade the United States—which maintains a long-held neutral position on control of the Western Sahara—to endorse Morocco’s claim to the area. Outgoing President Donald Trump’s Dec. 11 proclamation that the United States would recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara marked yet … Administration: Moroccan law and practice apply. International and local human rights organizations claimed that authorities dismissed many complaints of abuse and relied only on police statements. Reports of mistreatment occurred most frequently in pretrial detention. The highly anticipated trip came a month after Trump announced in a tweet that the United States had recognised Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in exchange for the kingdom normalising ties with Israel. Moroccan law does not define or recognize the concept of a political prisoner. Moroccan law and practice apply. For more information, see the Department of State’s 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Morocco. NGOs and activists alleged that Moroccan authorities sometimes restricted access to Western Sahara for foreign visitors, including journalists and human rights defenders (see section 2.a. This would prolong and further complicate the conflict, turning Western Sahara into a complex theatre akin to that of Libya, with neighbouring Algeria potentially weighing in, if only logistically, to support the Polisario, he said. According to the constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the political party with the most seats in parliament and approves members of the government nominated by the head of government. According to the US Embassy, the role and exact status of this office were clarified on Sunday. As an inducement to relocate to the territory, workers in the formal sector earned up to 85 percent more than their counterparts in internationally recognized Morocco. AdalaUK NGO reported the public prosecutor did not present evidence to substantiate the charges. The judicial police (investigative) branches of both the Royal Gendarmerie and the National Police report to the royal prosecutor and have the power to arrest individuals. The disputed territory of Western Sahara was central to a deal announced by President Donald Trump on Thursday establishing diplomatic ties between Morocco and Israel. Several African countries have also acted against the official position of the African Union, of which SADR is a founding member, to open consulates in Western Sahara. The DGAPR assigned each prisoner to a risk classification level, which determined visiting privileges. There were no reports that the Moroccan government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. The CNDH operated in conformity with the Principles of Paris, according to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, which recognized it in 2015 as a “class A national human rights institution” within the UN framework. The Western Sahara (CIA World Factbook) Historically, the Algerian government supported the Polisario and hosts Sahrawi refugees from the fighting in the Western Sahara —nearly 174,000 as counted by the U.N. refugee agency—around its city of Tindouf, near the Western Sahara border. Moroccan law and practice apply. Violent confrontations between security forces and protesters were less common than in previous years, according to several local NGOs, although violent dispersals occurred on occasion.