King Mohammed VI has granted royal pardons to 907 people convicted by Moroccan courts to mark the first anniversary of Unity Day, celebrated annually on October 31, Morocco’s Ministry of Justice announced on Friday.
According to the ministry’s statement, the royal pardon covers 613 prisoners and 294 people who are not in custody, with the beneficiaries receiving different forms of clemency depending on their sentences.
Among those imprisoned, 17 inmates received pardons for the remainder of their sentences, while 595 had their prison terms reduced. One prisoner serving a life sentence had the punishment commuted to a fixed prison term.
The pardon also covers 294 people not in custody, including 72 who received pardons for their prison sentences or the remaining portions of those sentences.
Another nine people had their prison sentences pardoned but remain liable for their fines, while 202 received pardons covering their fines. Eleven others benefited from pardons covering both imprisonment and financial penalties.
The announcement comes as Morocco prepares to celebrate the first anniversary of Unity Day, a national holiday established by King Mohammed VI in November 2025 following the UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 2797 on Western Sahara on October 31 of that year.
In a Royal Cabinet statement issued on November 4, 2025, the King designated October 31 as an annual national holiday under the name Aid Al Wahda (Unity Day), symbolizing Morocco’s national unity and territorial integrity.
The statement also established the occasion as a day on which the King would grant royal pardons, making this year’s announcement the first under the new national celebration.
MWN with MAP
