Brussels, 08/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - A spokesperson from the European External Action Service (EEAS) has confirmed that High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini sent a letter to the Moroccan government asking it to open the doors of its prisons to NGOs more. This was revealed in early September by Spanish and Moroccan press. The spokesperson says that Mogherini's letter is a response both to a parliamentary question and to a letter sent (the date is not specified) by 53 MEPs to European Council President Donald Tusk regarding the case of a human rights activist (Mohamed Lamin Haidala), who died on 8 February in controversial conditions. Brussels has asked for “clarifications”.
The spokesperson says that in her letter, Mogherini states the EU is monitoring “the human rights situation in Morocco and the Western Sahara closely, including individual cases of human rights violations”, and the EU delegation in Rabat is monitoring these developments closely. “Brussels regularly raises its concern about the situation of detainees in Moroccan prisons, and supports the fight against impunity in cases of bad treatment”, Mogherini states (our translation). (Fathi B'Chir)
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