Press Releases:
December 16, 2005
Moroccan King Orders Public Release of Truth Commission Final Report
Brief Summaries of Findings and Recommendations Released Today
MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACT
Suzana Grego
Director of Communications
TEL +1 917 438 9331
E-MAIL sgrego@ictj.org
NEW YORK, December 16, 2005—King Mohammed VI today approved the publication and public release of the final report of the Moroccan Equity and Reconciliation Commission (Instance Équité et Réconciliation or IER). The Royal Palace received the report on December 1, 2005, officially ending the Commission's 18-month mandate.
Following today's announcement, the Commission released brief summaries of its findings and recommendations. (To access the summaries, go to www.ictj.org). A substantial summary is expected to be released this weekend, in advance of the full report.
The highly anticipated public dissemination of the report will mark a crucial stage in the course of the Commission's work as the processes it recommends provide Morocco with a tremendous opportunity to advance victims' rights and prevent future abuses. According to the summaries, the full report determines the responsibilities of state actors and other parties for the abuses and outlines an extensive reparations plan for victims and their families. While addressing the precise nature of past violations, the report also recommends concrete steps the Moroccan government and civil society can take to ensure non-repetition in the future, such as measures and reforms that strengthen the rule of law.
Background
From the 1950s to the 1990s, thousands of Moroccans were illegally detained, imprisoned, tortured, or forcibly 'disappeared' by state actors under King Hassan II. In April 2004, his son and successor, King Mohammed VI, formally established the 17-member Commission to investigate this era and provide compensation to victims and their families. The IER received more than 22,000 applications for consideration and held victim-centered, public hearings televised throughout Morocco—an unprecedented first for the region.
As the first truth commission in the Middle East and North Africa region, the public release of the IER's final report will be a groundbreaking event, both nationally and internationally. Given its rich archive documenting past violations, the Commission and its final report could help move Morocco forward on a path toward national reconciliation and greater respect for human rights.
Media Contacts:
For more information or to set up briefings with ICTJ experts on Morocco and the Middle East and North Africa region, contact: Suzana Grego, ICTJ Director of Communications, at +1 (917) 703-1106 or sgrego@ictj.org.
More Information:
The ICTJ in Morocco
Since December 2003, the ICTJ has worked closely with the Moroccan Equity and Reconciliation Commission, encouraging a transparent and participatory process for establishing the IER's mandate and selecting the commissioners. Over 18 months, the Center facilitated visits by truth commission experts and practitioners from countries including Ghana, Guatemala, Peru, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, who shared their truth-seeking experiences and provided constructive criticisms and technical assistance to the Commission. The Center has also provided the Commission with ongoing assistance in areas such as the conduct of public hearings, providing comparative analyses on reparations, and advising on communications and outreach strategies. The ICTJ has worked closely with Moroccan human rights organizations, the media, and victims' groups, stressing their role in monitoring the IER and assisting victims. In November 2005, the Center published "Transitional Justice in Morocco: A Progress Report" detailing the history, development, and major work of the IER to date.
For more information about the IER, see www.ier.ma.
About the ICTJ
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.
In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through nonjudicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes.
The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. By working in the field through local languages, the ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others.
For more information about the ICTJ, see www.ictj.org.
