Hundreds of prisoners released by royal pardon in Morocco
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King Mohammed VI issues a royal pardon in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Throne Day in Morocco.
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Omar Radi, a journalist and activist, second from right, speaks on the phone after he was pardoned and released from prison in Tifelt, Morocco, on July 29, 2024. (AP)
On Monday, Moroccan authorities released three detainees who opposed the normalization of relations between Morocco and "Israel". This release was part of a royal pardon that included 2,476 individuals, which included journalists, prisoners of conscience, and individuals convicted in cases related to extremism and terrorism.
Mustafa Dakar, Said Boukioud, and Abderrahmane Zenkad, members of the opposition group Al Adl Wal Ihsan, were released. They had been arrested for posts criticizing the normalization of relations with "Israel". The three detainees had been sentenced to prison terms of one and a half years, three years, and four years, respectively.
The royal pardon was issued by King Mohammed VI, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Throne Day in Morocco.
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The pardon also included journalists Tawfik Bouachrine, Soulaimane Raissouni, Omar Radi, Youssef Lahrach, and Reda Taoujni.
Among those pardoned were individuals who had already served their prison terms and had up to two years remaining. Additionally, fifteen prisoners saw their life sentences converted to fixed-term imprisonment. The pardon also extended to 16 people convicted in cases related to extremism and terrorism.
Welcome for pardon and calls for the release of detainees
In turn, activists welcomed the amnesty issued for the detainees, calling for the release of the remaining prisoners of conscience and political detainees, most notably the detainees of the Hirak Rif movement.
Activists on social media shared photos and videos capturing the first moments of several prisoners of conscience being released from prison. The group included prominent figures such as Soulaimane Raissouni, Omar Radi, Tawfik Bouachrine, Youssef Lahirche, Abdel Rahman Zenkadh, and Reda Tazajni.
Earlier this month, the Moroccan General Prison and Reintegration Administration announced the release of 235 prisoners convicted of “extremism and terrorism” since the launch of the “reconciliation” program in 2017.
During a ceremony in Rabat marking the conclusion of the 14th session of the “reconciliation” program, the Moroccan Prison and Reintegration Administration stated, as reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency, “235 prisoners out of a total of 322 who benefited from the reconciliation program were released.” It explained, "After the prisoners benefited from this program, most of them benefited from a royal pardon, numbering 170 prisoners, in addition to 65 prisoners whose prison terms had ended."
