News
Thursday 24 January 2019

Moroccan Authorities Reject Political Positions, Erroneous Allegations and Conclusions in HRW 2019 Report

Vocal synthesis
Moroccan Authorities Reject Political Positions, Erroneous Allegations and Conclusions in HRW 2019 Report

The Moroccan authorities have expressed their total rejection of the political positions and erroneous allegations and conclusions in the section on Morocco of the 2019 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on the status of human rights around the world.

These political positions and erroneous allegations and conclusions will receive a detailed response in the weeks to come, said the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH) in a statement on Thursday.

The Moroccan authorities have stressed, after reading the section on Morocco, that this report confirms that HRW continues to adopt an approach that lacks objectivity and professionalism, based on general, selective and unilateral estimations and conclusions, that would distance it from the spirit of cooperation and positive and constructive dialogue with the various actors concerned by the promotion of human rights in the Kingdom, said the same source, adding that the negative positions expressed in the 2019 report reflect the HRW's predefined orientations.

The report lacks precision, credibility and realism, which require investigations, reliable sources and useful cross-check methods. This document recalls some cases without naming them, specifying their number or the place where they have occurred, and is just giving predefined generalizations, the DIDH said.

The facts and conclusions contained in the 2019 HRW report are far from reality, said the DIDH, asserting that these allegations are not confirmed and exaggerated, and even contradictory to previous documents by the Organization, and based on unilateral testimonies without compelling evidence, the same source added.

The Moroccan authorities consider that the introduction in this report of an isolated case concerning illegal immigration, claiming that the authorities have conducted a large campaign against thousands of migrants, is an additional and clear indicator of the adoption of an erroneous and selective approach in this report.

The Moroccan authorities deem that the position expressed by the NGO concerning the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement totally contradicts the decision of the European Court of Justice on this matter and provides a misinterpretation aimed at serving political purposes that run counter the ethics by which such a human rights organization should abide.

In conclusion, the DIDH underlined the Moroccan authorities' openness to serious and professional international NGOs and their willingness to provide all the explanations and data necessary to contribute to the preparation of objective, honest, professional and fair reports on the situation of human rights in Morocco.

MAP 24 January 2019