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Juan Méndez: Torture is systematic in Moroccan detention centres:


NAU - publié le Tuesday, September 25th à 21:31 modifié le Tuesday, September 25th - 21:41

"Torture is systematic in Morocco for cases involving anti-government protesters and fundamentalists accused of terrorism."With this statement the UN rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez of Argentina concluded his visit.



Juan Mendez
Juan Mendez

He had accepted the invitation of the government for a one-week visit to Morocco, during which he visited several prisons, police stations and psychiatric hospitals in the kingdom, meeting competent officials on the matter and civil activists and detained people.
 
"It seems that there is an increase in violent police interventions against demonstrators"  he told reporters, explaining that "the fact that the events are allowed or not, does not give authorities the right to use excessive force against protesters. "
 
He still believed in his preliminary findings that the culture of human rights is developing in Morocco.
 
According to the Times Colonist Canadian electronic media, the government has not commented on the statement  by Méndez, but earlier insisted that the invitation by Morocco was proof of the commitment of Morocco to human rights.
 
"This is a precedent that reflects the confidence of Morocco in its ability to meet its international commitments and to address bluntly the questions and problems of human rights", the Minister of Communication Mustapha El Khalfi  said anticipating the result of the visit last Thursday.
 
 Juan Méndez will  officially present his report to the  UN Council of Human Rights  in Geneva in March.