In Morocco, the prolonged and repeated absences of King Mohammed VI are not denounced with impunity. Mohammed Ziane, the kingdom’s former Minister of Human Rights, learned this the hard way.
Sentenced last February to 3 years in prison, the former senior official, 80, had his sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court, reports numerous Spanish media, including El País and El Independiente. The sentence is final and no appeal is now possible.
Mohammed Ziane held the post of Minister Delegate for Human Rights between 1995 and 1998. Last October, and when the King’s public appearances were very rare, he spoke to the Spanish newspaper El Independiente on these absences.
Mohammed Ziane denounced royal escapades, human rights abuses and the corruption of Moroccan elites. This led to him being arrested and imprisoned last November following a complaint from the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior.
The 80-year-old man has also not escaped the accusation of sexual crimes that overwhelm all those who disturb Moroccan power, such as independent journalists and human rights defenders.
Eleven charges were brought against him, including “offenses against public officials and justice”, “contempt of a constituted body”, “defamation”, “adultery” or “sexual harassment”.
Morocco: rare public appearances of Mohammed VI
Several independent Moroccan journalists are languishing in prison on charges of sex crimes. The abusive recourse to this kind of accusations was the subject of a resolution of the European Parliament which condemned the Moroccan State last January, calling on it to respect the freedom of the press and to cease the recourse to these practices.
The imprisonment of Mohammed Ziane sparked a wave of indignation both in Morocco and abroad. Several organizations, including Amnesty International, demanded his release and denounced the conditions of his imprisonment and the lack of guarantees for a fair trial.
Since 2018, King Mohammed VI has made only rare public appearances. Former Moroccan officials and foreign media recently revealed that the sovereign spent 2022 more than 200 days outside the country. Mohammed VI spends most of his time in France, Gabon, and the Seychelles.
His absences are explained sometimes by his health concerns, sometimes by his friendship and his outings with the Azaitar brothers, German-Moroccan MMA champions whom he befriended in 2018 precisely.
The last public appearance of Mohammed VI in Morocco took place on Monday, May 15 in Rabat on the occasion of the presentation of a car of Moroccan design. He appeared very thin and very tired, which revived speculation about the state of health of the king who suffers from cardiac arrhythmia and sarcoidosis.
