SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Rabat, 11/02/2004 (SPS) The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) denounced in an ''overwhelming'' report, what its investigators had noted on tortures, abductions, disappearances and assassinations widely commited in Morocco, indicated a report expected to be published soon, and published by Moroccan weekly newspaper, ''Tel Quel''.

FIDH' investigators achieved ''a real work of investigation and crosschecking'', underlined the newspaper, indicating that they met with ''tens of persons:victims, victims'' families, journalists, human rights activists but also lawyers, public prosecutors, ministers (of whom ministers of justice and of human rights).

Under the title ''arrests or abductions'', the Federation wondered why to eye fold arrested ''suspects'' and ''why lying on their families'', quoting many examples of persons arrested and maintained in arbitrary detention in some DST's annexed places (Territorial Security Direction).

''In secret in Temara'' (30 Km of Rabat) and in ''other places of detention and interrogatories'' (...) ''in some farms or other quickly arranged rooms, according to some information, in Tit Mellil, downtown of Casablanca'', Moroccans undergo all forms of physical and moral torture, reports the international
organisation.

''Interrogatories under torture, planed beating, rape and/or threats of rape of members of the family, burning with cigarettes, ''falaga'' all the set of the black years is used again'', noted the report, which ''will soon be
circulated within numerous international authorities'', according to the organisation.

''Secret detention is systematic and associated to torture, ill-treatment and to some case of rape are signalled'', indicated the report, adding that ''other detainees declared having been burned with cigarettes and hanged up for hours or forced to the method of waters ingurgitation'' (...) ''many detainees who did not accept to sign the verbal procedure of interrogation were forced to under effect of torture''.

The report quotes ''the known case of Moul Sebbat'', and two other interpellated persons ''who died in confusing circumstances'', while ''the right to fair trial for interpellated persons related to the events of the 16th May, as granted by Moroccan legislations, were systematically violated''.

''The investigators of the FIDH visited the cells and parlour of Oukacha's prison (Casablanca), but they were not allowed to meet with prisoners'', indicated the organisation.

Describing this sinister prison, FIDH noted that ''it was terribly hot and the bad smells are offensive. Some rude guardians, coming and going at the parlour, which is parting the bars. From one side the detainees are standing, on the other the families. Two crying hordes, trying to communicate''.

The four writers of the FIDH's investigation are ''figures known by their committment in the human rights field'', among whom the present honorary president of the Federation himself, Mr. Patrick Baudouin, lawyer in Paris. (SPS)

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