Morocco's King Mohammed VI has pardoned 11 militants of the "Hirak" protest movement on the occasion of Islam's Eid al-Adha religious feast, their lawyer said Tuesday.
The 11 names appeared on a list of 889 people granted royal pardons published Tuesday by the justice ministry, lawyer Mohamed Aghnaj told AFP.
The 11 militants were serving two to three year jail sentences, in the western city of Casablanca, for their part in the Al-Hirak al-Shaabi, or "Popular Movement" whose protests rocked the country's northern Rif region in 2016-2017, according to the National Council on Human Rights.
The total number of convictions tied to Hirak are not known, but the protests have led to more than 400 arrests, the rights council says.
The movement's leader Nasser Zafzafi, sentenced with three companions to 20 years in prison for threatening the security of the state, was not among those on the pardon list. Nor was journalist Hamid el Mahdaoui, sentenced to three years for covering the events.
The social unrest linked to Hirak began in October 2016 after the death of a fisherman and spiralled into a wave of protests demanding more development in the neglected Rif region and railing against corruption and unemployment.
Whoever participated in the plunder of the state must be held accountable – Jane...
A vote for John and Jane is a vote to pull Ghana from the precipice of destructi...
I’ll repay your abiding confidence with loyalty, understanding and a devotion to...
‘I’ve learnt deeply useful lessons for the future' — Serwaa Amihere breaks silen...
I’m sorry for the embarrassment – Serwaa Amihere apologises for leaked sex video
Dumsor: Matthew Opoku Prempeh not in charge of Energy sector – Minority
Adu Boahen’s murder: Police arrest house help who was in possession of deceased’...
Akufo-Addo nominates Felicia Attipoe as Tema West MCE
Election 2024: I can't have someone I defeated twice as my successor – Akufo-Add...
