In a review made public this week, Amnesty International reported that Freedom of expression and assembly were heavily «restricted» in 2018 in Morocco. The organization believe that Morocco should take more efforts to provide protection to domestic workers. Monitoring the human rights situation in the Middle east and North African region, London-based international NGO Amnesty International released its 2018 review, which included Morocco. In its review, published on the 26th of February, Amnesty International reported that freedom of expression and assembly are still «heavily» restricted in the Kingdom. Referring to peaceful protests that took place in Jerada and Al Hoceima, the association stressed that several journalists, citizen journalists and activists were arrested and convicted for «expressing their views peacefully online». The Organization recalled the cases of Hirak lawyer Abdessadak El Bouchattaoui, and female Hirak figure Nawal Benaissa who were sentenced for online comments and posts. Journalists and activists behind bars Amnesty International argued that «prosecutors used disproportionate and inappropriate security-related charges based on offences in the Penal Code and counter-terrorism legislation», citing the conviction of Badil.info director Hamid El Mahdaoui, journalists Mohamed El Asrihi, of Rif24.com, and Fouad Essaidi, of Facebook page Awar TV. For freedom of assembly, the international organization stated that Moroccan «authorities banned demonstration or used excessive or unnecessary force at least twice in 2018». Amnesty International referred to March the 13th, when «interior minister banned protests in the mining city of Jerada after a series of protests following the December 2017 deaths of two brothers in a mine». Moreover, the same organization indicates that authorities have «violently dispersed a peaceful protest in Laayoune», at the moment when the UN special envoy for Western Sahara. Most recently, the NGO reports that police «used unnecessary force against peaceful protesters», protesting against the EU-Morocco fisheries. Hirak, migrants and women In addition to freedom of right and assembly, the NGO denounced the trials of Hirak activists, namely Nasser Zefzafi and his friends who were sentenced in June to prison sentences ranging from one to 20 years. The organization alleges that «the court did not exclude evidence allegedly obtained by torture or other ill-treatment and refused to hear more than 50 defence witnesses», related to Hirak detainees. Amnesty International concluded that migrants and refugees in the Kingdom are faced with unlawful arrest and «discriminatory crackdown». «Thousands of sub-Saharan migrants, including children and pregnant women, were unlawfully arrested during the raids and transported to remote areas in the south of the country or close to the Algerian border», the same source said. The latter recalled that the LGBT community is faced with «police harassment» and that same-sex relations are still punishable by the Penal Code. To conclude its review, the NGO hailed the new laws that were implemented in 2018 to protect women from violence and urged the country to strengthen its new law on domestic workers which offers «offers less protection». The Moroccan government rejected the accusations in Amnesty International's report, stressing that the NGO's conclusions were subjective and did not reflect the truth. Morocco's comments relayed by MAP news agency, suggested that the organization neglects the positive projects and developments implemented by the country.
