Controversy surrounds royal pardons for Salafi prisoners in Morocco

2009-05-26

For the first time ever, a Moroccan minister is talking about the issue of royal pardons for terrorists. Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa's recent comments before Parliament are stirring questions on all sides of the issue.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 26/05/09

[Getty Images] Moroccan Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa tells Parliament that Salafi prisoners are eligible for royal pardons.

Over the past few months, a number of Salafi prisoners in Morocco have sought royal pardons. Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa was asked during an oral questions session in parliament on Wednesday (May 20th) to clarify the government's position on the issue.

Benmoussa replied that there are certain ways in which Salafia Jihadia prisoners can get out of jail – including by royal pardon – if they show remorse and change their thinking.

The minister confirmed that some Salafi prisoners have sought pardons through the Human Rights Advisory Council (CCDH) and the General Office of the Prison and Reintegration Authority.

"These requests are currently being considered in accordance with the applicable procedures," he commented.

Benmoussa's statement – the first ever made by a minister on the subject – has stirred up controversy in Morocco, particularly because royal pardons slated for some Islamists after the 2003 Casablanca attacks were cancelled in 2006 when Hassan El-Khattab's ring was dismantled.

"The strategy of granting pardons has its limitations and will not achieve the goal of combating terrorism," commented Party of Justice and Development MP Mustapha Ramid.

Instead, he said, dialogue will "help some people renounce their terrorist beliefs [and] thus serve as examples to young people with terrorist leanings and prevent them from making mistakes".

Ramid added that a distinction should be made between terrorists and those innocent people detained under anti-terrorism laws. Pardons, he said, should be granted based on well-defined criteria to ensure that people who do not deserve to be released under amnesties will stay behind bars.

Indeed, the Interior Minister has said that any dialogue with Salafia Jihadia prisoners must comply with well-defined rules and regulations that take account of Morocco's unique circumstances. He stressed that no comparisons should be made with other countries in this regard, particularly in terms of dialogue concerning religion.

Political science professor Mohamed Kanzidi says that the factors of particular relevance to Morocco relate not only to abandonment of the doctrine of violence advocated by Salafis, but also to acceptance of the monarchy. "Some of them are for the monarchy, while others have reservations about the idea of the King being a commander of believers," he commented.

Kanzidi added that the authorities must be careful to distinguish between the different categories of Islamist prisoners, since the acts of terrorism that have occurred in Morocco have led to a large number of arrests.

"While some continue to have fundamentalist ideas, others are prepared to engage in dialogue as they have changed their views," he argued. Prisoners in the latter category should be eligible for pardons, he believes.

The president of the CCDH had recommended in June 2008 that Islamist prisoners acknowledge their mistakes and renounce terrorist activities, Kanzidi said.

The Dignity for Human Rights Forum, which has submitted 90 applications for pardons to the CCDH, said that the Interior Minister's statement is proof that the CCDH initiative remains valid.