Rabat – Moroccan police in Marrakech arrested on May 16 five individuals for deliberately smoking in public during the month of Ramadan.
The five teenagers, reports Al Massae, were not only arrested for breaking the fast in public, but also for violating the state of emergency.
Article 222 of the Moroccan constitution criminalizes breaking the fast in public during the holy month.
The group included two girls and three young men. The arrest took place in the streets of the Gueliz district, according to the same source.
The five suspects were then put in custody pending trial before a judge on charges “in the act.” The trial will take place remotely due to the country’s state of emergency.
The five individuals risk a fine between MAD 300 and MAD 1,300 ($30 to $130) for violating the state of emergency, in addition to one month to six months in jail for breaking the fast in public.
The Moroccan Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on May 8 that Moroccan courts had prosecuted 65,352 individuals for violating the state of emergency since the law for its enforcement entered into force.
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The legal proceedings fall within the framework of Law 2.20.292 on the provisions relating to the state of emergency.
The Ministry of Interior declared that curfew will run from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the month of Ramadan.
However, the ministry has issued a number of exceptions for people employed in activities requiring nighttime work. Health care executives, medical and paramedical workers, medical transport staff, and pharmaceutical staff are exempt from the Ramadan curfew limits.
The exceptions also concern the Royal Armed Forces, the civil defense services, prison services, and the services from the customs and indirect taxes administration.
