Gdim Izik Events: Public Authorities Condemn Any Attempt to Influence Justice

The public authorities reiterated their rejection of attempts by some NGOs to exert media influence on the course of justice concerning the case of individuals convicted for the criminal acts that occurred in the camp of Gdim Izik in Laayoune in 2010.

The public authorities have taken note of the publication by NGOs, of two joint releases, dated November 05 and 08, 2020, on the case of individuals convicted in connection with the criminal events of Gdim Izik in the city of Laayoune in 2010, the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights said in a statement Friday.

The public authorities once again reject the attempts of these organizations to exert media influence on justice each time specific cases are presented to national courts, the statement stated, while denouncing the propaganda campaign launched by these organizations against Morocco, in the form of unfounded accusations and urging them to respect the values of integrity and neutrality.

These individuals involved in the events of the Gdim Izik camp and whose cases are submitted to the Court of Cassation are being prosecuted for committing criminal, barbaric and appalling acts against elements of the Moroccan public forces and civil defense, in accordance with the law which requires to face any criminal act and thus guarantees the rights of victims, added the same source.

These are serious crimes that these NGOs fail to mention while attempting to portray criminals as victims to confuse the public opinion, which is a blatant violation of the sacredness of human dignity and questions the credibility and the role played by these organizations in a legitimate and recurring manner.

The public authorities have stated that these individuals are being prosecuted for the barbaric crimes they committed, namely the ruthless and premeditated murder of 11 elements of the Moroccan public forces and civil defense and the mutilation of their corpses.

This trial was conducted in conformity with international legal standards as the defendants were given the benefit of the defense. Also, public hearings were held, witnesses were questioned, evidence was examined and a translation service was provided, the Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights said.

The families of the accused, victims and hundreds of national and international experts were able to watch the trial, it added.

“Contrary to the allegations of torture, the public authorities affirmed the legality of ensuring fair trial conditions for the defendants in line with international standards, and that during the appeal phase, the competent court immediately responded to the request of the defense of the accused to conduct a medical expertise in accordance with international standards,” the statement added.

Concerning the prison situation of the said individuals, the public authorities confirm that these individuals were dispatched to various penitentiaries in Morocco according to several well-recognized criteria, including the length of sentence, the state of health, studies, and proximity to their families.

The public authorities categorically reject the “political and biased assessment” made by some organizations of the human rights situation in the Southern Provinces, in particular the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as the creation of associations and their exploitation of this subject through slanderous media campaigns to undermine Morocco’s achievements in the field of human rights.

They also vigorously denounce the attempt to camouflage the brutality of these criminal acts by linking the trials to the exercise of human rights in the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom, the delegation noted.

By categorically refuting the allegations of “systematic ban” on gatherings in the Southern Provinces, the public authorities underscore their commitment to guarantee the exercise of all rights and freedoms throughout the national territory, without any discrimination or restrictions and in full compliance with the legal provisions on public gatherings, as well as in the context of maintaining security and stability.

They also reiterate their commitment to interacting with civil society associations in accordance with the law and within the framework of full compliance with the constitutional provisions on the freedom of establishment of associations, according to the same source.

It also noted that the UN Security Council Resolution 2548 adopted in late October 2020 on the Sahara issue, counters all the untruths conveyed by these organizations and welcomes the efforts made by Morocco to consolidate human rights in its southern provinces, particularly through the role played by the regional commissions of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) in Dakhla and Laâyoune and Morocco’s positive interaction with the CNDH’s special procedures mechanism.

As a result, the public authorities strongly denounce the repeated and crude attempts by these NGOs — in particular the allegations made by Amnesty International in its October 22, 2020 press release– to exploit and politicize any opportunity or event that Morocco makes in the area of human rights to undermine the territorial integrity of the Kingdom and to make baseless and false accusations against the public authorities, without any verification whatsoever of the veracity and accuracy of the facts as required by the sound methodology pursued by human rights NGOs.

Emphasizing the completion of territorial integrity through the recovery of the southern provinces for several decades and the exercise of full sovereignty over these regions, the public authorities point out that the latest resolution of the UN Security Council establishes the preeminence of the autonomy initiative in the Southern Provinces as a solution to the artificial dispute that has being running for too long.

They also reiterate their commitment to the UN process and their support for UN efforts to reach a realistic and practical political solution based on consensus, within the framework of full respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom.

The public authorities further emphasize that the sovereignty of the Kingdom over its Southern Provinces is indivisible and cannot be subject to any negotiation, blackmail, or political exploitation of the issue of human rights, the statement concluded.