Activists hope Morocco will abolish death penalty
2007-01-30
Paris will host the third congress for the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in February. Organizers say many of the country's political parties support the abolishment of the death penalty.
By Imrane Binoual for Magharebia in Casablanca – 30/01/07
 [Imrane Binoual] (From left) Moroccan Human Rights Organisation President Amina Bouaayache, Human Rights Advisory Council President Driss Benzekri, Michel Taube and USFP leader Mohamed El Yazghi. |
The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty will hold its 3rd world congress on Thursday (February 1st) through Saturday in Paris, France. Activists hope the event will persuade Morocco to become the first Arab country to abolish the death penalty.
According to Michel Taube, spokesman for the World Coalition, the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was a cloud with a silver lining. He hopes the images from the execution "will make people in the Arab world realise the horror and futile violence of the death penalty … So if we condemn this execution we also have to condemn the death penalty, because if it was unacceptable for Saddam Hussein, one of the worst tyrants history has ever known, we have to recognise that it’s unacceptable for people who have committed less serious crimes," he told Magharebia.
Taube believes it is very important that the coalition seek to persuade at least one Arab country to move towards abandoning the death penalty. According to the organisers of the World Congress against the death penalty, no North African or Middle Eastern country has abolished it to date; in 2006 the number of executions rose sharply.
Campaigners are hoping that Morocco will become the first of these countries to abolish the death penalty. The last execution in Morocco took place in 1994. In January 2006, the Equity and Reconciliation Commission asked for the death penalty to be abolished. Recently, many of those sentenced to death have had their sentences commuted to a life sentence by King Mohammed VI. At present, 127 Moroccan prisoners, including five women, are on death row. Four of these were sentenced in 2006. Under the Moroccan penal code, 36 articles call for the death penalty, and 563 crimes are punishable by this sentence.
The Moroccan Coalition Against the Death Penalty, founded in October 2003, has been working to get the support of political parties, according to Youssef Madad, the co-ordinator of the coalition.
"All the political parties we met during our visit to Morocco -- the Istiqlal Party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, the Party of Progress and Socialism, the Islamic Party and the Justice and Development Party -- confirmed they will support us," Meryem Kaf, the Moroccan press officer at the Paris-based Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort, told Magharebia.
"This also signalled that they support the abolition of the death penalty in Morocco, with or without prior ratification of Protocol 2 of the UN."
"The death penalty is a law in the penal code, so we need more and more Moroccan politicians to take up the issue so that it will be discussed in parliament. That’s where the struggle against the death penalty will end and be won," Taube said.
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Miguel Angel Posted 2007-01-30
The best of luck to Morocco, the country of north african avant-gardism. It’s good for King Mohammed VI, who has a great vision of the present world.
Dominique Posted 2007-01-30
The abolishment of death penalty is a real step on the road to wisdom, the proof of a real respect of human life. Friend from Morocco, I’d be happy to share the pride of moroccan people, if the country decides bravely to be the example to be followed.
BUNOUF Sylvaine Posted 2007-01-31
Salam. Thanks for the struggle against death penalty ! I think there are others punishments to give, and more human ! Un thus country full of faith...God will know how to punish them, on their last days ! Morocco us a country that needs some changes on different points (I think so), but the population is nice, welcoming and so friendly !
محمد اوكنا Posted 2007-02-03
Peace be upon you!. The death penalty is the harshest punishment in legal systems. But has anyone asked about the use of it. Have we really achieved what we wanted from it. Of course not because we still see the problems causing it exacerbate. In addition, there are some who were wrongly sentenced and executed. I think we should look for efficient solutions to bypass this penalty. It is against human freedom. This human being created by God who preferred him to other creatures. He is the one Who takes your life and revives. The call to its abolishment is good news and perhaps it may lead to reducing the crimes portrayed by the various media. I was very pleased to hear news about abolishing it. It will give incentives to those with criminal intent to be deterred for fear of spending the rest of their lives behind bars in which case the death penalty would be less harsh. Experience has proved me right. How many criminals died in their cells. I wish this is an adequate formula for prison terms especially in connection to crimes because we all make mistakes and the best of us are those who repent. We seek God's forgiveness for all 04/01/2007
مريم- الرباط Posted 2007-12-06
In the name of God. I say to the Moroccan Human Rights Organization that Islam is our religion and the Qur'ran is our constitution. (We've been a Muslim state since an indefinite time). There's no religion or constitution that preserves human rights except our pure religion. If we'd abided by and implemented our constitution, the state of the country wouldn't be what it is now. In retaliation there is wisdom, God the Almighty says. The words of God cannot be discussed, we should rather understand that wisdom. The rule of retaliation should be applied, and let's stop following the secular states. May God grant us success.
Adil Posted 2007-12-07
I'm a moroccon, have been living abroad for more then 15 years, i'm 23 and i really hope morocco will abolish the death penalty; i'm always proud when i being talking with friends,and saing them that morocco is great country, a developping country, where people can live in peace, whith no fears; really i'm happy all about, and i hope a day to come living in morocco forever, because it's the most wonder country compaired to all arabian countries. Thank's to my country, hope even politicians will work for morocco people progress, to better, emprove theire ways of living,and for morocco emage too, that's the only arabian country have been respected here in the west.
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