On Morocco’s Independence Manifesto day, King Mohammed VI granted a royal pardon to 265 inmates, including eight women convicted on terrorism charges.
Rabat – The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners has organized a welcoming ceremony for 10 female convicts who benefitted from a royal pardon after their participation in the “Moussalaha” (Reconciliation) program.
The event took place on Wednesday, February 5, in Rabat, and is part of the process of social and economic reintegration for the former detainees.
The “Moussalaha” program, launched in 2017, aims to psychologically and intellectually rehabilitate prisoners with extremist ideologies, in order for them to successfully reintegrate into society.
During the ceremony, the group of ex-prisoners discussed the experiences leading to their release with members of the foundation.
The ceremony reflects the uniqueness of the “Moussalaha” that distinguishes Morocco from other countries in the region and in the Arab world, said the coordinator of the Mohammed VI Foundation, Abdelouahed Jamali Idrissi.
The event highlights that “women need support to break the cliches at play in the majority of society,” he added.
The meeting seeks to “build bridges of trust with these women in order to complete the cycle of their care and to achieve effective and adequate integration that allows them to become” active members of the society, continued Idrissi.
As an additional effort to integrate former detainees into society, the prison establishments offer economic projects and jobs to the released prisoners, noted the foundation’s coordinator.
The ten women, including eight who received a royal pardon on January 11, and two who finished their sentences, will receive support from the regional centers closest to their places of residence, outlined Idrissi.
The foundation’s centers ensure the continuity of support for beneficiaries, in order to develop their personalized life projects. The centers offer social, health, behavioral, administrative, legal, educational, and professional support, said the coordinator.
The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners, created in 2002, aims to humanize prisons, promote the values of citizenship and reintegration, and give prisoners the chance to learn values of peace.
So far, around 68 ex-detainees have benefited from the “Moussalaha” program and are currently supported by the regional centers of the foundation.
The reconciliation program revolves around three main axes: reconciliation with oneself, reconciliation with the religious text, and reconciliation with society.
