Several Moroccan constitutional institutions, endeavoring to uphold human rights, stole the spotlight in the 2022 country report on human rights practices – Morocco, issued on Monday by the US Department of State.
The report underlined that the national council on human rights (CNDH), a publicly funded national human rights institution, is fully cooperating with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on unresolved cases of disappearance prior to 1992.
In addition, the CNDH, along with other human rights NGOs, conducted unaccompanied prison monitoring visits. The CNDH conducted 155 monitoring visits nationwide, besides 10 visits to prisons in the Sahara, including four in Laayoune-Sakia, with the stated goal of preventing practices likely to lead directly or indirectly to torture or mistreatment and engaging with authorities on human rights obligations.
The Council reported there were 31 different associations that engaged with the prisons to provide services such as medical care, victim care, and skills training.
The report recalled that the CNDH, via regional offices in Dakhla and Laayoune, carried out a range of activities in the Sahara, including monitoring demonstrations, visiting prisons and medical centers, and organizing capacity-building activities for various government and NGO stakeholders.
It also maintained contact with unregistered NGOs and occasionally investigated cases raised by them, especially those that drew attention on the internet or in international media.
The report stressed that the CNDH and the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) investigated allegations of inhuman conditions and effectively served the function of an ombudsperson and a system of “letterboxes” in prisons to facilitate prisoners’ right to submit complaints regarding their imprisonment. “Detainees could submit complaints without censorship to the DGAPR Delegate General’s office for processing as well as to the CNDH.”
“The CNDH continued to be a conduit through which citizens expressed complaints regarding human rights abuses,” the document underlined.
The report also highlighted the role of the Institution of the Mediator which acts as a general ombudsperson. “It considers allegations of governmental injustices and has the power to carry out inquiries and investigations, propose disciplinary action, and refer cases to the public prosecutor.”
The Institution of the Mediator helped resolve civil matters that did not clear the threshold to merit involvement of the judiciary, including cases involving civil society registration issues. The mediator retransmitted to the CNDH for resolution those cases specifically related to allegations of human rights abuses by authorities, wrote the report.
Another body is the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH) which reports to the minister of justice. According to the report, the institution works to promote the protection of human rights across all ministries, serves as a government interlocutor with domestic and international NGOs, and interacts with relevant UN bodies regarding international human rights obligations.