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Abdellatif Ouahbi, Morocco’s Minister of Justice, has said that consuming drugs should not be grounds for imprisoning youth who are dealing with drug addiction.
Ouahbi made his remarks on Tuesday while speaking at a symposium organized by the National Center for State Courts in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. The symposium notably discussed improving youth inmates’ conditions, as well as the need to sensitize the public about youth-related issues in Morocco.
Young people struggling with drug addiction should be treated as “patients” in need of care rather than criminals, the minister said, arguing that drug addiction is a medical condition rather than a crime.
When a child commits a crime, it is a “pathological condition and not a criminal act,” the minister argued, adding that children “do not commit crimes, do not have duties and only have rights.”
Ouahbi’s comments have created division among Moroccan netizens, with some emphatically taking issue with the minister’s suggestion that individuals under 18 are children and should not be held accountable for any action they might have taken.
In his speech at the symposium, Morocco’s Justice Minister notably argued that the country has a duty to preserve and uphold minors’ rights, claiming that “duties begin at the age of 18 when the person becomes responsible and qualified.”
This latest controversy comes on the heels of popular criticism of Ouahbi for what his detractors see as his tendency to promote “un-Moroccan values” and ultraliberal policies, including his hotly debated proposal to reform the Moroccan penal code by decriminalizing extramarital consensual sexual relations.
Under Article 490 of the Moroccan Penal Code, sexual relations outside of marriage are prohibited and can be penalized with a prison sentence ranging between one to two years.
Read also: Ouahbi Sparks Controversy with Remarks on Extramarital Relations
The minister’s proposal for liberalizing Morocco’s penal code has sparked anger from many quarters, with his most vocal critics hailing from the opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD).
Last week, PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane criticized Ouahbi for his proposed reforms, questioning whether he is qualified or competent enough to be Morocco’s Justice Minister.
“If I had known this would happen, I would have never received him.. to become a minister. I fear I am responsible for this disaster,” fumed a visibly frustrated Benkirane.
