The Statement by the spokesperson for the US Department of State about two suspects, the first of whom was sentenced, at first instance, to a five-year prison term firm for a common law case, while the second case is still under way, is based on “biased” information coming exclusively from the supporters of the defendants, underlined, on Tuesday, the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH).

“This information knowingly obscured the point of view of the complainants and their lawyers, to the extent of denying their very status of victim and their universally recognized right to lodge a complaint,” the Delegation said in a statement after having read the content of this statement made public Monday.

Likewise, it was noted with astonishment that the statement of the spokesperson of the US Department of State refers only to the allegations of the convicted person, focusing on his professional status, and to alleged “violations of requirements relating to a fair trial”, while the competent public prosecutor in his press release of July 12, 2021 clearly highlighted the fairness of the said trial, said the Delegation.

“Morocco is attached to respecting the fundamental rights of all litigants, regardless of their status; and the independence of the judiciary, enshrined in the 2011 Constitution and resulting from the substantial reforms initiated in the Kingdom for more than two decades, is the guarantor of the respect for these fundamental rights”, insisted the DIDH. In this regard, “Morocco remains deeply attached to the consolidation of the values of individual and collective freedoms, in particular the freedoms of expression and association, which are constantly developing within the framework of a prosperous, tolerant and inclusive society, dismissing arbitrariness, injustice and violence,” concluded the Delegation.