Morocco: three years in prison for shouting slogans against the monarchy!

Repressive measures in Morocco are being stepped up. The five activists arrested in Ksar-ek-kebir in the aftermath of the May Day demonstrations have been sentenced to three years in prison! They need the solidarity of the workers and youth of the world. Please take up the issue in your country and join the protest movement.

The five activists arrested in Ksar-ek-kebir in the aftermath of the May Day demonstrations were sentenced yesterday to three years in prison! Their only crime is to have shouted slogans against the dictatorship. Expressed in legal terms it means "to attack the sacred values of the monarchy". The five youth activists are members of the militant unemployed movement ANCDM, including the national president of the organisation, Thami Khayati.

The five condemned activists are still defiant against the regime and are making an appeal for urgent solidarity against this new wave of repression.

In Defence of Marxism and Marxy.com call on all their supporters to intensify the international campaign now. Here follows a model resolution. Sign it and send it off, get it discussed inside trade union organisations, party organisations, youth groups; take it up with Members of Parliament and leading trade unionists, where possible and get them to sign it and send it off to the address provided below.

"We protest against the repression suffered by trade unionists and activists of the ANCDM and AMDH following the May Day demonstrations in Morocco. Those activists have been arrested, tortured and condemned to prison sentences.

"The accusation of "attacking the sacred values of the monarchy" reveals in and of itself the utter undemocratic nature of the laws and constitution of Morocco. Those laws are hindering all real freedom of expression and opinion and are a threat to all democratic rights in general. Those laws must be repealed.

"We demand the immediate release of Mahdi Barbouchi and Abderrahim Karrad, imprisoned in Agadir and of Thami Khayati, Youssef Reggab, Oussama Ben Messaoud, Ahmed Al Kaateb and Rabii Raissouni who have all been jailed in Ksar-el Kebir, in the Larache province."

Please write to the Moroccan embassy in your country. For a full list (in French), see here. Also send faxes and emails to:

Fax Prime Minister: 0021237768656 or 0021237761010
Fax Ministry of the Interior: 0021237767404
Ministry of Justice: Mr. ALAOUI Hachem - Alaoui@justice.gov.ma Telephone: 037-73-13-50 - Fax : 037-40-23-98
Fax Governor of Larache : 0021239913779
Fax Governor of Agadir : 0021228840249

Send copies of your protest messages to Marxist.com and Marxy.com (contact@marxy.com)

Join us

If you want more information about joining the IMT, fill in this form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.