Rabat – Morocco deeply regrets and denounces UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Diego Garcia-Sayan’s decision to cancel his official visit to the country.
The Moroccan government addressed Garcia-Sayan’s statement, published Tuesday, March 19, on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) website, in which he declared that he would not visit Morocco on an official trip set for March 20-26.
Garcia-Sayan said he canceled the visit because the “government of Morocco has not been able to ensure a programme of work in accordance with the needs of the mandate and the terms of reference for country visits by special procedures.”
In response, the Moroccan government stated that Garcia-Sayan’s decision contradicts his earlier stand when he first began preparations for the visit on June 16, 2017, at the invitation of Morocco.
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According to the government, Morocco has been keen on ensuring all the necessary “guarantees” for the success of Garcia-Sayan’s visit by including all the suggested places for him to visit to exercise his mission, contrary to what the rapporteur stated.
Garcia-Sayan stated: “It is most regrettable that the suggestions of places to visit and schedule of work were not fully taken into consideration by the Government. It is an essential precondition for the exercise of the mandate of Special Rapporteur that I am able to freely determine my priorities, including places to visit.”
Morocco stressed the country’s readiness to make any amendments Garcia-Sayan requested to enable him to exercise his mandate as required.
Lastly, the Moroccan authorities regretted that Garcia-Sayan, instead of approving Morocco’s proposal to guarantee the success of his visit in the country, considered it a shortcoming from Morocco’s part, which is what Moroccan authorities strongly denies.
Garcia-Sayan’s visit was to examine the independence and impartiality of judges and prosecutors and the independent exercise of lawyering.
