Morocco’s opposition parties are intensifying calls for King Mohammed VI to grant a royal pardon to Mohamed Ziane, the 81-year-old former Human Rights Minister currently serving a five-year prison sentence. Rights groups and critics have labeled the case against Ziane as politically motivated.
Over the weekend, the Justice and Development Party (PJD), an Islamist opposition group, appealed to the monarch, citing “humanitarian challenges” and urging leniency for Ziane. A prominent lawyer and founder of the Moroccan Liberal Party, Ziane was convicted in 2023 on charges of corruption and embezzlement linked to Morocco’s 2015 election campaign.
Ziane’s son and attorney, Ali Reda Ziane, has dismissed the charges as retaliation for his father’s outspoken defense of journalists, activists, and political prisoners. This latest sentence follows a 2022 verdict that sentenced Ziane to three years in prison on charges including defamation, adultery, and insulting a public official.
Rights groups, including the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Prisoners, have condemned the proceedings, claiming they aim to “silence and humiliate” Ziane. He was also featured in a 2022 Human Rights Watch report accusing Morocco of harsh crackdowns on dissent.
A History of Advocacy and Opposition
Ziane, who served as Morocco’s Human Rights Minister from 1995 to 1996, has become a prominent critic of the state in recent years, often targeting the intelligence services in his critiques. Opposition groups have consistently advocated for royal pardons for Ziane and other political detainees, including those imprisoned following the 2016 Hirak Rif protests. The grassroots movement called for social and economic justice in Morocco’s marginalized Rif region, leading to the imprisonment of hundreds, including movement leader Nasser Zefzafi, who is serving a 20-year sentence.
The Role of Royal Pardons
King Mohammed VI has historically used his exclusive authority to issue royal pardons during national and religious occasions. In 2024, several jailed critics, including journalists, were pardoned as part of celebrations marking the monarch’s 25th anniversary on the throne. Another pardon is expected during Eid after Ramadan in April.
However, pardons often require detainees to formally request forgiveness and pledge not to repeat their actions—a process activists view as humiliating. Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi reiterated in 2023 that pardons hinge on detainees’ willingness to seek clemency, adding, “The King, as the father of all, knows the public interest and greater good.”
Broader Implications
Local activists see Ziane’s case as emblematic of a broader crackdown on dissent in Morocco. “This is not just about one man. It’s about sending a message: dissent has a price,” a member of the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Prisoners remarked.
The government’s actions have also targeted other critics, including pro-Palestinian activists, some of whom received sentences of up to five years for protesting Morocco’s normalization of relations with Israel.
As pressure mounts on King Mohammed VI, the case of Mohamed Ziane remains a focal point in Morocco’s ongoing debate over dissent, justice, and political freedoms.