Rabat – The administration of Al Arjat 1 prison has denied allegations that former Moroccan Human Rights Minister Mohamed Ziane is not receiving adequate medical care, saying the 84-year-old prisoner receives regular medical monitoring and has previously refused hospital appointments arranged for him.
The prison administration said Ziane had received continuous medical supervision since his admission to the facility, both at the prison’s medical unit and at outside hospitals.
The statement came in response to allegations attributed to Ziane’s family, who expressed concern over his health and said that he was not receiving the medical attention required by his condition.
The administration said Ziane had previously benefited from several specialist consultations and radiological examinations, adding that he continues to receive the medical tests and procedures required by his health condition.
It also said he had refused to be transferred to an outside hospital despite appointments arranged in advance. The administration did not provide further details about the appointments or the medical examinations, citing the contents of his medical file.
This is not the first time Ziane’s family has raised concerns about his treatment in prison. In June, relatives questioned restrictions affecting his access to the prison store and the food available to him, arguing that these measures were affecting his health. The prison administration rejected those allegations, saying he continued to receive meals and medical supervision.
In August, the prison issued another statement detailing his medical care after concerns about his health circulated in Moroccan media. It said Ziane had received 113 medical consultations inside the prison, 12 specialist consultations at outside hospitals, 51 biological tests, and eight radiological examinations. The administration also said he had refused five transfers to outside hospitals.
Why is Mohamed Ziane in prison?
Ziane, a lawyer and former president of the Moroccan Liberal Party, has been imprisoned since November 2022, when the Rabat Court of Appeal upheld a three-year prison sentence against him in a case involving 11 charges.
The charges included insulting public officials and judicial institutions, defamation, and sexual harassment, among others. The case followed complaints and legal proceedings initiated in 2021.
While serving that sentence, Ziane became the subject of a separate case involving the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds allocated to the Moroccan Liberal Party.
On April 8, the Rabat Court of Appeal sentenced him to five years in prison in the second case, following a retrial. Ziane’s legal team challenged the ruling before the Court of Cassation.
His continued imprisonment has drawn criticism from international human rights organizations. Amnesty International has called for his release, describing his detention as arbitrary and raising concerns about his health and reported conditions of confinement.
