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Title: Moroccan Students Imprisoned After Protests Publication: NEAR International |
Country: Morocco |
Published Date: February 17, 2010 |
Eleven students from Cadi Ayyad Marrakesh University in Morocco have begun their appeal trial after being sentenced to up to four years in prison in July 2009. Amnesty International considers the students to be political prisoners and have reported that the students were tortured while in prison.
In May 2008, police detained the eleven students following violent confrontations in Marrakesh between law enforcement officials and students. The students were calling for better conditions and greater freedom of expression, association and assembly. Police were accused of using excessive force.
The students have been named by Amnesty International as: Zohra Boudkhour, Galal Al-Qitbi, Abdelallah Al-Rashidi, Alaa Al-Dirbali, Mohamed Gamili, Youssef Mashdoufi, Mohamed Al-Arabi Gadi, Youssef Al-Alawi, Khaled Mouftah, Mourad Al-Chouni and Ousman Al-Chouni. Amnesty said they showed signs of injury in court and say they were tortured during detention.
At the request of the defence the appeal trial has been postponed to 31 March 2010. Family members and supporters of the students were prevented from entering the court room by law enforcement officials, which the defence considered to contravene fair trial guarantees, specifically the right of the defendants to be entitled to a public hearing.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
According to Amnesty International, the circumstances surrounding the Cadi Ayyad Marrakesh University incidents of 2008 remain highly disputed. While university authorities maintain that some students initiated and used violence against security forces and destroyed public property, a number of students, political movements and human rights organizations accuse law enforcement officers of using excessive force to prevent the march. To Amnesty International’s knowledge, no full, independent, impartial investigation into the events has been conducted to date.
Amnesty International has called on the Moroccan authorities to respect its international obligations under the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture by protecting detainees against torture and other ill-treatment and identifying and bringing perpetrators to justice.