Morocco Poised for Historic Shift on Death Penalty as World Day Approaches

Tuesday 08 October 2024 - 07:33

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco Poised for Historic Shift on Death Penalty as World Day Approaches

As the global community prepares to observe World Day Against the Death Penalty, Morocco stands at a crossroads in its approach to capital punishment. A coalition of prominent human rights organizations in the country has announced plans for a press conference on October 10th to address the ongoing challenges associated with the death penalty and renew their call for its complete abolition.

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH), the Moroccan Coalition for the Abolition of the Death Penalty (CMCPM), and the Moroccan Observatory of Prisons (OMP) will host the event at CNDH headquarters in Rabat. This gathering comes at a pivotal moment for Morocco's stance on capital punishment, as the nation edges closer to ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which aims to abolish the death penalty worldwide.

While capital punishment remains legal in Morocco, it has not been carried out since 1993. The country now stands on the brink of a significant legal transformation, with the Moroccan Parliament expected to approve a draft Penal Code that would effectively eliminate the death penalty from the nation's legal system.

This year's conference, organized in collaboration with national abolitionist networks and "Ensemble contre la peine de mort" (Together Against the Death Penalty), coincides with several key milestones in Morocco's journey towards abolition. It marks 20 years since the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER) published its final report, urging Morocco to ratify the Second Optional Protocol.

On the international stage, the United Nations will soon vote on a resolution to establish a universal moratorium on executions. The CNDH has called on the Moroccan government to support this resolution as a crucial step towards aligning with international human rights standards. Additionally, the council has urged lawmakers to ratify the OP2 protocol, in accordance with Morocco's 2011 Constitution, which enshrines the right to life in Article 20.

The World Day Against the Death Penalty, established in 2003 by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, serves as a global platform to raise awareness about the inhumanity of capital punishment and campaign for its abolition. Supported by organizations such as Amnesty International, the European Union, and the United Nations, the event has become a focal point for encouraging governments to reconsider their stance on this contentious issue.

This year's theme, "The Death Penalty Protects No One," underscores the ineffectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent to crime. As Morocco contemplates this significant shift in its legal landscape, the world watches to see if the nation will take a definitive step towards joining the global movement against the death penalty.