Morocco: a report criticizes the sentencing of migrants after the events in Melilla
On June 24, 2022, dozens of migrants attempted to cross the border between Morocco and Spain at the enclave of Melilla.
At least 23 of them lost their lives.
AP - Javier Bernardo
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In Nador, in northern Morocco, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) says it was prevented by the authorities from organizing a demonstration in support of migrants the day after the publication of a report denouncing the convictions "
severe " and without "
convincing
" evidence
of several migrants following the events in Melilla on June 24.
Publicity
Read more
With our correspondent in Rabat,
Nadia Ben Mahfoudh
A candlelight march was scheduled for Sunday, December 25 at 11 a.m. to demand justice and dignity for immigrants in Morocco.
Demonstration prevented by the authorities, according to the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), which organized this march following the publication of its report on the
sentencing of dozens of migrants
after the tragedy in Melilla on June 24 2022.
In this report, the AMDH notes several breaches of the rights of migrants: among other things, during the arrests and hearings, interpreters and lawyers were not present.
But according to Khadija Ainani, vice-president of the association, the main problem is the similarity between the various minutes rendered.
“
There were copy-pastes on the police reports, that is to say that there were the same charges with similar reports
, she underlines.
They only change the names and nationalities, that is, the profiles of each migrant
.
»
Disappointment after the decision of the Spanish justice
If the AMDH considers it difficult to obtain justice from the Moroccan side, the association expected a lot from the Spanish courts, but
the investigation was dismissed by the Spanish prosecutor's office
the day before the release of the association's report.
"We
thought that justice in Spain was much more independent than justice in Morocco,
" says Khadija Ainani.
We were therefore surprised by this decision.
The Spanish State and the Moroccan State do not want the truth on this file
.
»
The AMDH therefore calls for an international investigation to be carried out, considering that in the current context of rapprochement between Morocco and Spain, it will be difficult to establish the facts.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Morocco
Spain
Immigration
International Migrations
Human rights