Moroccan legislation outlaws torture and the authorities have
repeatedly promised to eradicate it, yet existing safeguards
in police custody and courts are routinely flouted and
accountability remains elusive. Courts often fail to act when
first confronted with signs of torture, reinforcing the climate
of impunity. In the cases where courts grant medical
examinations, these are often sub-standard. Torturers are given
further incentives for their crimes when coerced “confessions”
are used to secure convictions. Meanwhile, the authorities have
started to prosecute some people who dared to report torture
or lodged complaints about torture in foreign courts.
This report contains numerous disturbing testimonies from
survivors of torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty
International is calling on Morocco’s authorities to use the
current judicial reform process to strengthen anti-torture
safeguards and ensure that torturers are held to account.