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Rabat – While expressing his sorrow at the tragic death of the fish seller in Huceima, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) and head of government, Abdelilah Benkirane, urged PJD party members not to respond to protests.
In the first official statement after the tragic death of the 31-year-old Mohsen Fikri, the fish-seller who was crushed to death in a garbage truck waste compactor, Benkirane expressed his sorrow at the incident.
The statement published on the party’s official website stated that Benkirane called upon the members of his party not to respond in any way to any demonstration pertaining to the incident.
“The Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party expresses his utter sorrow at the tragic incident of the death of the fish vendor in the city of Huceima, the late Mohsen Fikri. The General Directorate for National Security has visited the scene and begun investigations for this purpose. At the same time, he urges all the brother and sister members of the party and its sympathizers not to respond in any way to any protest regarding this tragic incident.”
The masses that demonstrated in the streets of Huceima late Friday night demanded the presence of Huceima’s governor, Mohammed Zher. The governor appeared before the angry protestors at 3 a.m, accompanied by the city Prosecutor General and promised that “a thorough and transparent investigation to apply the law and guarantee the deceased’s rights.
Zher also announced that the deputy of Huceima’s fishing department had been fired from his position following the incident.
The picture of the victim has been widely shared on social media with hundreds of thousands of Moroccans calling on the government to bear its responsibility and bring people who caused his death to justice.
Benkirane’s statement falls short of living up to the expectations of Moroccans, who were expecting their head of government and their elected officials to show solidarity with the victim, condemn his death and call for holding its alleged perpetrators accountable.
Following the release of his statement, many expressed their anger and wondered whether Benkirane is the head of the government for all Moroccans or just for the PJD and its supporters.
