Ahmad 
On Monday, Moroccan authorities released three opposition detainees who had been critical of normalization relations between Morocco and Israel, as part of a comprehensive royal pardon issued on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Throne Day.
The pardon included the detainees, Mustafa Dakar, Said Boukioud, and Abderrahmane Zenkad, who belonged to the opposition group “Al Adl Wal Ihsane” and had previously been imprisoned for posts criticizing normalization with the Israeli occupation. They were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one and a half to four years.
The royal pardon also included a group of prominent journalists, including Tawfiq Bouachrine, Soulaimane Raissouni, Omar Radi, Youssef Lahirech, and Reda Taoujni.
Other prisoners were also released after serving their sentences, and 15 prisoners had their life sentences converted to fixed sentences.
This pardon comes within the framework of the “Reconciliation” program, which aims to rehabilitate those convicted in cases of extremism and terrorism, as 16 people convicted under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Law benefited from the pardon after conducting intellectual reviews that reject extremism.
The royal decision was welcomed by activists, who expressed their hope for the release of the remaining prisoners of conscience and political detainees, especially the detainees of the Rif movement.
Photos and video clips were published on social media showing the moments of the released detainees leaving prisons.
It is worth noting that the Moroccan prison administration had previously announced the release of 235 prisoners convicted of terrorism cases since the start of the “Reconciliation” program in 2017. According to the statement issued, 170 prisoners benefited from the royal pardon, while the prison terms of 65 other prisoners ended.
At the same time, the National Authority for Supporting Prisoners of Conscience and Victims of Violations of Freedom of Expression in Morocco confirmed the continuation of violations against freedom of the press, pointing to the arbitrary detention of journalists Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni and Tawfiq Bouachrine, with them being subjected to punitive measures inside prisons.
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