Denver – Morocco’s General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) has vehemently denied allegations by Spanish inmates alleging mistreatment at a local prison in Tetouan.
In a press release on Tuesday, DGAPR officials refuted the inmates’ claims, which they labeled as unjustified. According to reports from Spanish media, the inmates claim they were being underfed by prison staff. They also made complaints about the unsanitary conditions in the prison, and an apparent ban on family visits to the prison.
“We would like to point out to national and international public opinion, that contrary to what has been broadcast and shared by certain Iberian media, the Spanish inmates of the Tetouan prison have sufficient beds, that they are entitled to meals,” said DGAPR ‘s statement.
It added that the inmates “are entitled to regular visits from representatives of the Spanish Embassy in Morocco.”
Invoking the COVID-19 health crisis, the DGAPR also noted that the decision to pause family visits was to preserve the health of both inmates and prison staff.
Morocco vaccinated a significant portion of its inmate community earlier this year, but a recent spike in COVID cases around the country motivated the temporary ban on prison visits.
While family members are currently unable to visit the inmates at the Tetouan prison, DGAPR officials assured the Spanish nationals were still able to schedule visits with diplomatic staff from the Spanish embassy.
The DGAPR also maintained that of the 23 Spanish inmates currently incarcerated in the prison, 19 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The DGAPR planned an initiative earlier this year to improve human rights practices among its prison staff.
The program aimed to reduce instances of prisoner abuse, while also ensuring the safety of prison staff and inmates through the installation of several dozen state-of-the-art cameras throughout Morocco’s prisons.
The cameras are connected to a central surveillance center and, beyond the usual need of improving prison surveillance, they are also supposed to document prison staff’s behavior toward inmates.
