Rabat – King Mohammed VI granted a royal pardon to 265 inmates on the Independence Manifesto Anniversary, on Saturday, January 11, 2020, said a press release from the Ministry of Justice.
The beneficiaries of the royal pardon include 204 inmates who had their prison terms reduced and 61 beneficiaries on bail.
Today, January 11, 2020, marks the 76th anniversary of Morocco’s Manifesto of Independence.
On January 11, 1944, 67 members of Morocco’s national movement signed the Manifesto of Independence and submitted it to the colonial authorities and representations of three powers, the United States, Great Britain, and the former Soviet Union.
The signatories demanded Morocco’s freedom and expressed the categorical refusal of the Moroccan people to continue to live under the protectorate of colonizers.
The document included general policy demands, including full independence, and Morocco’s territorial integrity under the reign of Sultan Mohammed V.
The manifesto represents an important step in Morocco’s fight for independence. The Kingdom achieved independence 12 years later, in 1956.
The beneficiaries of the 2020 Independence Manifesto pardons include 12 prisoners who received a pardon over their remaining prison terms, four inmates who were excused prison sentences while their fines were maintained, and 45 prisoners who had their fines canceled.
The Monarch also granted his pardon to eight female prisoners who were convicted in terrorism cases but participated in the 5th “Reconciliation” (Moussalaha) program.
The Moussalaha program, launched by the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR), aims to psychologically rehabilitate inmates involved in cases of terrorism and extremism.
The National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) developed the program in collaboration with the Mohammedia League of Scholars (Rabita Mohammedia des Oulemas).
The royal pardons come in response to pardon requests that the prisoners submitted to the King. The requests received the approval after the inmates officially renounced their ideological views, rejected extremism and terrorism, and expressed their attachment to the values and sacredness of the Kingdom.
Last year, 2019, King Mohammed VI granted pardon to 783 people on the same day. Royal pardons to mark national and religious holidays are customary in Morocco.
