Article 177 of Law 10.23 on the organization and management of prison institutions stipulates that “an electronic bracelet may be placed on a detainee for the purpose of tracking him inside the prison institution or upon his exit or removal from it. The conditions and formalities for placing the electronic bracelet shall be determined by a regulatory text.”
According to the general provisions of this law, central prisons receive convicted detainees sentenced to criminal or misdemeanor sentences exceeding five years, and local prisons receive remand and temporary detainees, those sentenced to prison sentences, and those subject to physical coercion. They can, when necessary, receive detainees sentenced to long or medium-term sentences in special places for them, while agricultural prisons are considered institutions with a semi-open system for the implementation of sentences and receive in particular detainees whose release date is approaching and are also specialized in vocational training in the agricultural field.
Draft Law No. 10.23 on the organization and management of prison institutions approved new measures for the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, guaranteeing them access to a lawyer of their choice, the right to visit, send and receive letters, the right to medical treatment and entertainment, the provision of all facilities for continuing their studies and vocational training, and the right of those among them to engage in productive activity for fair compensation.
The government project stipulated that prisoners should enjoy the rights of defense in addition to the requirements of exceptional leave permits for the purpose of preserving family ties and preparing for their integration into society,” stressing “the humane treatment of all those deprived of their freedom, respecting the inherent dignity of the human person, and the separation of persons in pretrial detention from convicted persons, and juveniles from adults.”
The government project enacted provisions concerning the promotion of rights within prison institutions, especially with regard to the rehabilitation and reintegration of detainees according to a new and innovative approach that takes into account Morocco’s commitment to its international obligations and the principles, rights and duties required by its charters, its adherence to human rights as they are internationally recognized, and its affirmation of its absolute commitment to protecting and promoting the human rights system, and contributing to its development.
The House of Representatives had approved, by majority, during a legislative session held on June 25, Draft Law No. 10.23 relating to the organization and management of prison institutions, in the context of a second reading.
In an introductory speech to the draft law, Minister of Justice Abdellatif Wahbi stressed that “the preparation of this draft law came in implementation of the instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI calling for the protection of human rights and making them the core of the modern democratic societal project that he leads, including preserving the dignity of vulnerable groups and improving their social status as inmates of prison institutions.”
Wahbi added that this legal text “falls within the framework of implementing the provisions of the 2011 Constitution, especially Article 23, which stipulates for the first time that every detained person enjoys basic rights and humane detention conditions, in addition to the possibility of benefiting from training and reintegration programs,” explaining that “in preparing this project, a broad participatory approach was taken into account, especially in light of Morocco’s involvement in the international human rights system.”
Edited by Abeer Al Omrani
On 02/09/2024 at 13:30, updated on 02/09/2024 at 13:30
