While Morocco was showcasing its human rights accomplishments at the UN headquarters in Geneva last June, journalist Ali Mrabet was on a hunger strike outside the front doors. He was protesting against the Moroccan Authorities’ refusal to hand him a simple administrative document to renew his residence in Morocco. The authorities initially refused (though later acquiesced), claiming that he did not complete the required administrative procedures. In reality, however, he was declined for political reasons. Mrabet had been living outside Morocco for a decade after receiving a ten-year writing ban, after which he declared his intention to return to Morocco and launch an opposition newspaper.
One year earlier, the Ministry of Interior banned several activities organized by human rights NGOs that criticize the regime, ironically claiming that such activities discredit the state’s efforts in improving human rights conditions. The ban came after the Minister of Interior’s speech at the Parliament in June 2014, where he made a correlation between terrorism and human rights NGOs’ criticism of state efforts to fight that terrorism.
It’s important to note that there has been a positive, yet slow, improvement in the level of human rights and the freedom of expression in Morocco. But this improvement fluctuates back and forth as officials are reluctant to take firm action against some oppressive practices. Morocco has a fairly weak community of human rights activism, and there is not enough push from the public for officials to take action. Because Moroccan human rights activists don’t have a strong popular base to appeal to or influence public opinion, they simply cannot sway decision markers. As James Ron and his colleagues have noted, local human rights groups must have some level of local support to succeed.
