Human Rights Watch, an American-founded international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights has urged King Mohammed VI today to «press for effective investigations into allegations that Morocco's police forces tortured people suspected of participating in the 2017 'Hirak'» protests in the Rif region». The NGO has commented on the King's speech, delivered on the 30th of July to commemorate the Throne day, saying that he «appeared to whitewash the police's handling of the unrest in Al Hoceima, the main Rif city, saying that security forces showed 'restraint and commitment to the rule of law'». «The king's unconditional praise of the security forces despite the allegations against them will only encourage the belief that those who abuse detainees will never face any consequences», said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director of Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch assured that reports suggest that detainees arrested amid the Hirak demonstrations have allegedly been faced with violence. The National Human Rights Council, which requested doctors to examine the detainees, insisted that «the police forced them to sign written statements unread».
