London, November 28, 2014 (SPS) – Amnesty international emphasized that the Moroccan authorities must lift restrictions on human rights groups as World Human Rights Forum opens, in a statement Wednesday.
“Restrictions by the Moroccan authorities on human rights organizations including Amnesty International have continued unabated despite the upcoming World Human Rights Forum being organized in Marrakech on 27-30 November,” said the international organization of human rights in its statement.
“Eight Moroccan groups, including leading human rights associations such as the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), have decided not to attend the World Human Rights Forum in protest at growing restrictions on their activities by the authorities.”
“Continuing restrictions on freedom of association in Western Sahara featured among the reasons invoked by eight Sahrawi groups that have announced they will also shun the event.”
Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director, Philip Luther, said “Clamping down on activities by local human rights groups and hampering Amnesty International’s access to the country is not only a clumsy way to prepare for Morocco’s hosting of the World Human Rights Forum,”
“It is also a worrying signal that civil liberties in the country are under threat. The Moroccan authorities’ attempts to tighten controls on critics of the country’s human rights record will only raise suspicions that they have something to hide.” (SPS)
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