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Friday, March 29, 2024
Major Event

The Court is considering the case of men charged of crimes under ordinary law and does not interfere with political considerations of some defendants and their lawyers 

Belgian lawyers sent letters in their capacity as international observers to the President and to all members of the European Parliament raising awareness of the optimal conditions for the trial of Gdim Izik.


In this letter, lawyer Baron Pierre Legros and lawyers Emmanuel Carlier, André Martin Karongozi and Sophie Michez point out that, contrary to what some MEPs seem to assume, "the fact of reconsidering the case of guilty parties is not the result of international protests against supposed illegality of convictions but it is a consequence of a change in legislation which gives defendants the opportunity to be tried again before a civil court ", adding that the families of the victims may also seek damages when they were not admissible before the military courts.


The lawyers argue that the Salé Court of Appeals "judges men presumed to have committed common crimes and does not have to interfere in political considerations of some of the defendants and their lawyers," noting that in the Court's consideration of the case, no subject is considered to be "taboo".


In their letter, lawyers state that it is "currently not permissible for them to conclude that the right to a fair trial of the defendants would be hampered by a position of the Court which would intend to arbitrarily base of its decision stressing that all defendants benefit from the presumption of innocence ".


Describing the atmosphere within the Court, lawyers have indicated that "two hearing rooms are available to the public composed mostly of families and supporters of defendants who can chant in chorus and aloud their political slogans of self-determination, without hindrance, at the beginning and at the end of each hearing".


They conclude that it "seems unlikely that democratically elected deputies allow themselves to teach lessons on human rights when they forget essential foundations".


It should be mentioned that since the case was referred to the Criminal Chamber of the Salé Court of Appeals on December 26, 2016, the trial was attended by several human rights associations, independent national and international NGOs, families of the victims and defendants, as well as several national and foreign media.


The events in Gdim Izik in October and November 2010 resulted in 11 deaths and 70 injuries among law enforcement and four civilians, as well as massive damage to public buildings and private property.


On February 17, 2013, the Rabat military court sentenced the prisoners to 20 year imprisonment, and perpetuity against persons involved in the case.


The defendants are prosecuted for "criminal gangs and violence on police forces, resulting in their death with premeditation, mutilation of bodies and complicity".


-News on Western Sahara issue/ Corcas-

 

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