Morocco reaffirmed its commitment to upholding human dignity and abolishing the death penalty during the 14th International Congress of Justice Ministers on Friday in Rome, Italy, held under the theme “No Justice Without Life.”
In a speech on behalf of Morocco’s Minister of Justice (MoJ), Abdellatif Ouahbi, Central Director of the MoJ, Rima Lablaili, highlighted Morocco’s dedication to achieving a sustainable balance between justice and human dignity.
Lablaili noted that Morocco “achieved a de facto moratorium on the death penalty in 1993,” adding that the Kingdom upholds “the right to life as a fundamental right in the 2011 Constitution.” Article 20 of Morocco’s Constitution declares, “the right to life is the first right of every human being.”
The Moroccan official said that abolishing the death penalty can be “a complex issue” and suggested a “gradual and inclusive approach.”
She underscored the importance of maintaining an open and ongoing dialogue with civil society and political stakeholders to “build a societal consensus that aligns with the shared values and aspirations of the Moroccan people.”
Although capital punishment in Morocco is still legal, no executions have taken place since 1993 with the infamous case of Mohamed Tabet.
Tabet, also known as Hajj Hamid, was a serial rapist and police commissioner who was allegedly involved in the kidnapping, rapes, and assaults of more than 518 girls and women in his Casablanca apartment from 1986 to 1993. The convicted rapist was sentenced to death in March 1993.