Morocco releases 235 prisoners convicted of terrorism cases within the framework of the national “reconciliation” program

The Moroccan Department of Prisons and Reintegration has released 235 prisoners convicted of “extremism and terrorism” cases since the launch of the “reconciliation” program in 2017.

The prison administration explained, during a ceremony in the capital, Rabat, following the conclusion of the 14th session of the program, that 235 prisoners out of a total of 322 who benefited from the “reconciliation” program were released, as 170 prisoners benefited from a royal pardon, while the prison term of 65 others ended.

The Prisons Administration did not mention in its statement the fate of the other 87 prisoners who benefited from the program aimed at rehabilitating those convicted in “extremism and terrorism” cases.

The most recent courses of the program extended over a period of four and a half months, and included religious, legal, legal, and psychological training and rehabilitation. The number of program hours reached 232 hours, of which 183 hours were allocated to education, and 59 hours were devoted to parallel activities such as theatre, drawing, gardening, and supporting abilities in reading, writing, and arithmetic

The course was characterized by debate exercises among the participants, where extremist discourses were constructed and deconstructed, which enabled the inmates to use mechanisms of deconstruction and demolition and strengthen the faculty of criticism.

In 2016, Morocco approved a new strategy to improve the conditions of detainees, ensure their security and safety, and prepare them for social and economic integration. The following year, the General Delegation for Prison Administration, in partnership with the Muhammadiyah Association of Scholars and the National Council for Human Rights, launched the “Reconciliation” program.

The program aims to combat extremism through religious education and psychological support, organize workshops on the law, spread a culture of human rights, and provide political and economic framework, according to the authorities.

Morocco is the second largest importer of Russian wheat after Egypt