Morocco: 25 People Arrested In Al Hoceima In The Rif And Transferred To Casablanca

Demonstrators wield a picture of Nasser Zafzafi, leader of the protest movement in the Moroccan Rif, during a parade in Al Hoceima on 29 May.

In Morocco, 25 of the 40 people arrested in the city of Al Hoceima on Friday were transferred to the court in Casablanca and are officially arrested. All are accused of threatening the internal security of the country. Nasser Zefzafi, the unemployed who became the leader of the protest movement, listened to the young people.

According to the king's attorney general in Al Hoceima, in northern Morocco, these people will be questioned about the acts, punishable by the Penal Code, for which they are accused.

They are prosecuted for the offenses of contempt of public officials during the performance of their duties, violence against them, destruction of vehicles and other equipment of general interest. But also for having demonstrated without authorization and thus threatened the security of the State.

The lawyer for these detainees said that 14 detainees had been released. Seven were released without prosecution, the other seven with the possibility of prosecution against them.

Disappearing Disappearances

Several disappearances have, however, been reported and relatives of the victims have not been informed, as in the case of Mohamad Al-Arich. According to activists, this director of a local news website, Rif 24, has disappeared. Its site and its Facebook page are now inaccessible.

The Hirak du Rif movement blames the Moroccan government for its "security approach  " to the crisis in the Rif region, which suffers from economic and social problems that have led to the six-month movement. But the Hirak is becoming more and more of a political identity tinged with conservatism and Islamic references.