Morocco’s Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi announced on Monday in the Lower House that Morocco will vote for the first time in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, describing the decision as “a significant historical step in human rights.”
In response to a question on the “Abolition of the Death Penalty,” Ouahbi said that “as part of its ongoing human rights progress, Morocco will positively engage with this challenge by supporting the General Assembly’s resolution on the suspension of the death penalty.” He added that this decision, which will be formally expressed on December 15, is backed by several key factors.
“Voting in favor of the resolution signifies a commitment to a moratorium on the death penalty for the two years covered by the vote,” the minister said, adding that the decision “reflects the reality that Morocco has observed a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993.”
Ouahbi also noted that the vote demonstrates Morocco’s constructive engagement with recommendations from various UN human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Committee, the Committee Against Torture, and the Universal Periodic Review. He added that the vote also reflects the ongoing constitutional, legal, and practical reforms within the kingdom.
However, the minister stated that “voting in favor of the resolution, while a significant step forward, does not automatically mean the abolition of the death penalty,” pointing out that some countries that have supported similar resolutions still retain the death penalty in their legal systems.
He stated that there are currently 88 individuals on death row in Moroccan prisons, including one woman. Since 2020, around 161 death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment or fixed-term sentences following royal pardons.