Doha – Three international organizations have welcomed a UN Working Group’s ruling that found the detention of Nasser Zefzafi, a leading figure in the Hirak Rif movement, arbitrary under international law.
The Committee for Justice, along with Freedom House, and the MENA Rights Group commended the decision in a joint statement released December 9.
“The Working Group’s decision reaffirms that Nasser Zefzafi’s imprisonment is a profound violation of fundamental rights,” the Committee for Justice stated.
The opinion, issued on October 25 by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) and adopted during its 100th session in August 2024, concluded that Zefzafi’s detention violated multiple articles of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Zefzafi reportedly developed hemiplegia and chronic illness during his detention, with injuries allegedly from torture, according to WGAD’s findings.
The Moroccan government has strongly rejected these findings, maintaining that his arrest and detention followed proper legal procedures.
According to government documents submitted to the WGAD, Zefzafi was arrested on May 29, 2017, following events at Mohammed V mosque in Al Hoceima.
The government stated that “investigations concluded that Zefzafi was involved in activities aimed at threatening territorial integrity, namely coordinating with separatists abroad for actions aimed at separating the Rif from the rest of the territory.”
In its response to WGAD, the Moroccan government said that “589 members of law enforcement were injured and several police vehicles were burned” during the protests.
The government maintained that Zefzafi “exploited the demands of Al Hoceima’s inhabitants by organizing unauthorized demonstrations and engaging in acts of vandalism.”
The WGAD’s opinion, however, found that “the specific acts of Zefzafi mentioned by the Government do not constitute in themselves acts of violence or incitement to violence.”
The group noted that while “the disruption of prayer may have offended some people, nothing demonstrates that his statements incited violence.”
On June 26, 2018 — a year after his initial arrest — Zefzafi was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Court of First Instance in Casablanca. The verdict was upheld on appeal on April 5, 2019, and the Court of Cassation rejected a further appeal on June 23, 2021.
The Moroccan government strongly defended its judicial process, stating that “the trial respected all guarantees of a fair trial” and that “the identity of Amazigh people is one of the components of Moroccan national identity.”
The government said that Zefzafi’s detention “has no connection with his geographical belonging” and reiterated that he “was convicted of acts contrary to the law.”
The Working Group has requested the Moroccan authorities to take immediate action to remedy Zefzafi’s situation and ensure his release. The government has been asked to report back within six months regarding the implementation of these recommendations.
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