The Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) expressed on Saturday its strong condemnation of “the baseless allegations contained in the resolution of the European Parliament (EP) of Thursday, January 19, 2023.”
In a statement issued after a meeting of the Council, the CSPJ said it had taken note of this resolution which contains “accusations and serious allegations undermining the independence of the judiciary.
“These unfounded allegations distort the facts and cast doubt on the legality and legitimacy of judicial proceedings taken on cases, some of which have been tried and others ongoing,” said the statement read by Mustapha Libzar, Secretary General of the CSPJ.
“The Council regrets this distortion of the facts in the context of trials that have taken place in accordance with the law, in full compliance with constitutional guarantees and conditions of a fair trial recognized internationally,” it said.
“The Council vigorously denounced the approach of the European Parliament, which has arrogated to itself the right to judge the Moroccan judiciary in a blatant and biased manner, damaging the Kingdom’s judicial institutions and giving no consideration to their independence,” the same source continues.
The Council expresses its categorical rejection of any interference in the judiciary or attempt to influence its decisions, especially since some of the cases mentioned are still before the courts.
“This contradicts all international norms and rules, including the principles and declarations of the United Nations on the independence of justice,” it said.
Similarly, the CSPJ strongly denounces the content of this resolution which encourages pressure on the judiciary for the immediate release of those mentioned, noting that “this is a serious attack on the independence of justice and is an attempt to influence it, while some cases are still before the courts.”
The CSPJ also stressed that the persons cited in the resolution have benefited from all the guarantees of a fair and equitable trial provided by law, including the presumption of innocence, the right to defense and access to all documents, a public presumption trial, the summoning of witnesses and their questioning, the use of judicial expertise, and the means of recourse, among other guarantees established by Moroccan law as stipulated in international human rights conventions ratified by the Kingdom.
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