Health Emergency: Morocco Categorically Refutes Allegations Made by Some Media Outlets
Geneva - Morocco's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, ambassador Omar Zinber, formally and categorically denied on Tuesday the information broadcast by some media outlets about allegations attributed to the High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the human rights situation under the state of emergency decreed in the Kingdom.
"Some media outlets have reported a supposed official press release by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued on April 27, 2020, referring to a list of countries, including Morocco, where overruns were reportedly observed, as part of the implementation of emergency health measures to deal with the spread of the Coronavirus," Zniber told MAP.
The ambassador described this information as completely unfounded, noting that the official press release issued by Bachelet on 27 April contains no indication or reference to Morocco.
"It should also be noted in this regard that the officials of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including Ms. Georgette Gagnon, director of Operations and Technical Cooperation, held a press briefing by videoconference, citing a list of more than 80 countries where arrests have been made," the diplomat said.
Gagnon "merely indicated that among all these countries, listed by name, there have been arrests in Morocco for violation of the rules of containment as stipulated by the decree on the implementation of the state of health emergency in the Kingdom," he pointed out.
"Thus, the erroneous information of alleged violations, broadcast by these media outlets, is devoid of any foundation and does not appear in any official document of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights," he stressed.
He recalled that, "by the admission of several States and international organizations concerned, the measures undertaken by Morocco to stem the spread of the Coronavirus are proactive, effective, transparent and in full compliance with the rule of law and respect for human rights".
"Some media outlets have reported a supposed official press release by Ms. Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued on April 27, 2020, referring to a list of countries, including Morocco, where overruns were reportedly observed, as part of the implementation of emergency health measures to deal with the spread of the Coronavirus," Zniber told MAP.
The ambassador described this information as completely unfounded, noting that the official press release issued by Bachelet on 27 April contains no indication or reference to Morocco.
"It should also be noted in this regard that the officials of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including Ms. Georgette Gagnon, director of Operations and Technical Cooperation, held a press briefing by videoconference, citing a list of more than 80 countries where arrests have been made," the diplomat said.
Gagnon "merely indicated that among all these countries, listed by name, there have been arrests in Morocco for violation of the rules of containment as stipulated by the decree on the implementation of the state of health emergency in the Kingdom," he pointed out.
"Thus, the erroneous information of alleged violations, broadcast by these media outlets, is devoid of any foundation and does not appear in any official document of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights," he stressed.
He recalled that, "by the admission of several States and international organizations concerned, the measures undertaken by Morocco to stem the spread of the Coronavirus are proactive, effective, transparent and in full compliance with the rule of law and respect for human rights".
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Health-Emergenc...