Eight activists sentenced on 15 August to prison terms ranging from four months to one year in relation to a peaceful protest in the southern Moroccan coastal city of Sidi Ifni must be given an opportunity to challenge evidence against them in their forthcoming appeal trial, said Amnesty International today. Amnesty International is concerned that the protesters were unfairly tried and may have been punished for peacefully expressing their views, including criticism of the Moroccan authorities. Authorities should immediately and unconditionally release defendants whose criminal responsibility in acts of violence has not been established beyond reasonable doubt.
