How the New Regime Resembles the Old One?

By Jamal Elabiad

There is no difference between the new regime and the old one when it comes to human rights abuses. This is the conclusion many Moroccans (me included) came to soon after watching videos on how peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations have been violently dispersed by anti-riot police in many Moroccan cities, including Casablanca, Fez, and Agadir. The four videos below are just examples of a large number of videos that have been posted on Youtube, and that bear witness to that fact that today’s regime is no different than what it was in the past.

This article first appeared on Al Jazeera Talk English.

Too Much Noise for Nothing

By Jamal Elabiad

Most Moroccans received with relief the reforms king Mohamed VI promised to bring about in his speech delivered after Moroccans took to the streets to call for profound political reforms. But what happened on March 13, May15, and May 22 contradicted the king's promises of reforms.

The common denominator between those dates is the fact that Moroccan authorities suppressed pro-democracy activists peacefully demonstrating against corruption and nepotism, and for an independent judiciary, transparent elections, and a king that reigns, but doesn't rule.

Four days after the king's speech, peaceful demonstrators in Casablanca were harshly beaten by anti-riot police. On May 15, the Moroccan authorities broke up violently a protest picnic organized by the February 20 movement to "Guantemara", a secret detention in Temera on the outskirts of the capital. On May 22, many demonstrations of the February 20 movement were violently dispersed and a large number of protesters were arrested.

Many domestic and foreign political analysts commented on the king's speech. It marked, for them, the start of a Morocco totally different from what it was a few years ago: a Morocco of liberties, human rights, free elections, and equality before the law, a Morocco where everyone can ask for his/her rights without being chased by anti-riot police, and a Morocco where all Moroccans are equal, and where no Moroccans are more equal than others.

I am quite sure that those political analysts were shocked to notice that the Moroccan interior ministry did not respect the king's speech while dealing with peaceful pro-reform demonstrations across the country. And I am sorry to say that several of them did change their opinions on the speech 360 degrees. The reason? The Moroccan interior ministry disregarded the king's "historical" speech. Therefore, it's the interior ministry to blame if Moroccans shout anti-regime slogans!

In closing, it's worth mentioning that many Moroccans have been sent to prison after being accused of disrespecting the monarchy. The interior minister, however, has not been brought to trial though his violence against peaceful demonstrations was disrespectful of the king's March speech. This is among the reasons why the birth of a new Morocco sounds like too much noise for nothing.

He Who Pays the Piper Calls the Tune

By Jamal Elabiad

In Morocco, many opponents of the regime have turned their coats as soon as they were appointed ministers or directors of state administrations. By this I mean that their attitudes were against the Moroccan regime, but they started to toe the Moroccan regime’s line immediately after becoming senior officials of the state.

For instance, when they were Comrades, they sharply criticized the state for violating human rights, but when they became men of the state, they totally disagree with those who think that Moroccans are deprived of many rights, including the right to say and write whatever they want.

There are many reasons behind their switching from serving the masses to serving the regime through adopting its approaches and attitudes. One is that they believe that today’s regime is much better that what it was in the past, a belief that led many of them to announce the death of the Makhzen.

For me, as for others, the reforms the regime has made so far are not sufficient. There is almost no difference between the regime of the past and that of today. Take secret prisons as an example. In the past, there was Tazmamart, a secret detention in Er-Rich, a town between Errachidia and Medelt. Many opponents of the North African monarchy were tortured to death at Tazmamart. And King Hassan II, when asked, denied the existence of a secret detention in Morocco called Tazmamart.

As for today’s regime, there is a secret detention at the administrative headquarters of the intelligence service (or DST) in Temara on the southern outskirts of the capital. A Salafist prisoner called Bouchta Charaf said on a Youtube video that he was savagely tortured in it. He also added that many other Islamist detainees were also exposed to barbaric torture at Temara secret prison.

Recently, president of the national council for human rights Mohmed Sebbar paid a three-hour visit with other members of the council to the administrative headquarters of the intelligence service and, soon after, issued a statement saying that the DST headquarters in Temara did not contain any secret prison.

It’s regrettable that Mohamed Sebbar, who was known for his strong opposition to the decisions of the Moroccan regime, changed his attitudes and principles 360 degrees as soon as King Mohamed VI appointed him president of the national council for human rights.

Mohamed Sebbar’s denial of the existence of a secret detention at the DST headquarters in Temara was expected for several reasons. One is that he who pays the piper calls the tune!

This article first appeared on Al Jazeera Talk English.