Mohamed Sektaoui, Director General of Amnesty International Morocco, Dies at 73

Doha – Mohamed Sektaoui, Director General of Amnesty International Morocco, passed away today at a private clinic in Rabat following a long battle with heart disease.

One of Morocco’s most prominent human rights defenders, Sektaoui was known for his firm positions and reports highlighting human rights conditions in the country.

Throughout his career, he actively advocated for political prisoners and contributed significantly to establishing human rights culture and practice in Morocco.

Born in Ksar El Kebir on March 7, 1952, Sektaoui maintained a lifelong commitment to human rights activism.

His political engagement included membership in several parties, including the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP), the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), and the Party of Progress and Equality (PPS). He was also active in the National Education Union.

A former political prisoner himself, Sektaoui developed extensive expertise in human rights defense, beginning with his work at the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) during its establishment.

Over the years, he became a respected international human rights expert, recognized for his competence, integrity, and wisdom.

In his final public engagement, Sektaoui contributed a written statement to a symposium on “Questions of Freedom of Expression in Today’s Morocco” organized by the Party of Progress and Socialism on December 10, 2024.

He notably criticized Morocco’s press law as “flawed and incompatible with international standards for protecting journalists and providing them with an appropriate environment to perform their duties without pressure.”

The news of Sektaoui’s death prompted responses from prominent figures in Morocco’s human rights community.

Aziz Ghali, president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), described his passing as “a major loss for human rights activism in Morocco at a time when we all need such human rights figures.”

The funeral service is scheduled to take place today after the afternoon prayer at the Martyrs Cemetery in Rabat, where family members and friends will gather to pay their final respects.

Amnesty International’s Morocco branch acknowledged his death as “a great loss for all of us in the Moroccan human rights movement and the Amnesty movement worldwide.”