The Case of Shaykh Abu Mouadh Nourdine Nafi’a and his wife.
The joint committee received this letter from Shaykh Abu Mouadh Nourdine Nafi’a. He wrote it while he was being held in Kenitra central prison, in which he was subjected to barbaric torture after he was arbitrarily transferred on the 9th of October 2010. He was on hunger strike since the 6th of December 2010 while he was there until he was between life and death. He wrote this letter then speaking about the kidnapping he and his wife have been through and detention and torture in Temera secret detention centre and other secret centers.
He is now is solitary confinement, cut off the world around him in Toulal 2 prison, Meknes. He is one of those accused of being behind the Sala prison clashes (16-17/May/2011) or what is known by “Salé Zaki prison riot”
All praise is due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon his messenger, his family, his companions and those who adhere to him.
To proceed:
I am shaykh Abu Mouadh Nourdine Nafi’a, who is currently held in Kenitra central prison. Prisoner number: 26512, I am the one signed below, Nourdine Nafi’a who is sentenced to 20 years based on fabricated evidence under the guise of “combating terror”. I reiterate that I am innocent of all charges against me. I am a victim of American policies in the region. To clarify this I will outline what I and my wife have been through of suffering and violations in the dungeons of the secret services.
I am a Moroccan citizen, a member of the Islamic movement since the 80s. A Muslim, Sunni, following the Quran and the noble traditions of the prophet, according to the understanding of our pious predecessors such as Imam Malik, Shafi’i, Ahmed, Abu Hanifa may Allah have mercy upon them. I migrated from my homeland in 1988 to Afghanistan for the intention of joining the “Jihad”. It was not possible to go to Palestine, between me and it were thousands of barriers because of the “Arab cordon states”. My first stop was Europe and after repeated attempts I managed to travel to Pakistan in 1991, then to Afghanistan after the fall of the communist government. I made that country my homeland. In 1998 I left Afghanistan for Syria, Damascus, where I married the sister of Yassine al-Shaqori who is held is Guantanamo may Allah hasten his release. I began to trade to support my family, travelling between Syria and Turkey for trade. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 16 May, abduction, Abu Mouadh, Afghanistan, Casablanca Bombings, Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, DST, electroshocks, Extraordinary Rendition, forced confession, hunger strike, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, Kenitra, Marrakech, Mauritania, Meknes, Morocco, Nouakchott, Nourdine Nafi’a, Pakistan, Rabat, rape by instrumentality, Rendetion, ruqiyah, Sala, Sala Rabat, Sale, Sale Prison, sexual abuse, Shaykh Abu Mouadh Nourdine Nafi’a, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, sonic torture, sorcery, suicide attempt, Syria, Temera, The Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group, torture, Toulal Prison 2, Yassine al-Shaqori
On 24 November 2011, the trial of Ali Aarrass (a Belgian citizen) finally took place before three judges of the Rabat (Morocco) court sitting at Salé. But despite the absence of any objective evidence,[1] including statements from his alleged accusers, Ali Aarrass was convicted and sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment, solely on evidence obtained by torture.
Without addressing any of the legal and factual arguments which the defence team mounted over three hours of oral submissions and in writing, the judges reached their decision in barely an hour. Worse still, although the hearing was scheduled to resume at 4pm, the magistrates didn’t wait but pronounced their sentence in the absence of the defence lawyers, Ali Aarrass’s family and many supporters. Ali Aarrass found himself facing the judges alone to hear their iniquitous verdict. Even the interpreter had not been brought back to court, so Ali Aarrass did not understand the judgment, which had to be translated for him by his lawyers in the cells of the court. The defence team could only interpret this as another way of putting pressure on Ali Aarrass. After suffering torture, punitive conditions of detention and then extreme isolation, Ali Aarrass is not permitted any confidential interview with his lawyers.
It’s worth recalling that at the same time, the Moroccan authorities have refused to investigate Ali Aarrass’ complaint of being tortured during his police detention. Elementary measures should have been taken before rejecting the complaint as unfounded; Ali Aarrass should have had a proper hearing, he should have been allowed to confront all the officers who were involved with him during his police detention, expert medical evidence should have been sought and his medical condition compared with his Spanish medical records … but nothing was done. Is this surprising? Not really. The same judges presided in the ‘Belliraj affair’ and handed down extremely heavy sentences despite persistent allegations of torture and numerous violations of fair trial processes, recorded both by NGOs[2] and official observers.[3]
Shamefully for Morocco, its judges persist in practices which violate the most fundamental human rights. The judges have even been disowned by King Mohamed VI, who has pardoned several of those sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment in the ‘Belliraj’ case.
Will justice ever prevail in Morocco? Whether or not, the fight continues for Ali Aarrass, who has already lodged a complaint with the UN Committee Against Torture and the Committee on Human Rights.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
[1] The Moroccan file contains nothing: no search warrant of Ali’s home, no phone intercepts, no forensic evidence …
[2] In particular the Arab Commission on Human Rights, ‘Report on the trial of six political prisoners in Morocco – the Belliraj affair’, 10 December 2009.
[3] Such as the Belgian consul, and see the wikileaks document from the US ambassador in Rabat, ‘Landmark terrorism case raises human rights’.
Source
Tags: Ali Aarrass, Belgium, forced confession, isolation, Morocco, Rabat, Salé Rabat, Sale, torture, torture evidence
The Case of Shaykh Hassan al-Kattani:
Shaykh Hassan Al-Kattani
The government ignored the rich history of the the al-Kattani family in spreading Islamic knowledge and the role they played for Moroccan independence in fighting the colonial forces until the liberation of the country. They overlooked the case of the defense that the Kattani household had produced scholars that have honored Morocco around the world. It seemed to the family as if their reward was to have one of their sons sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, in a case he has no connection with.
Shaykh Hassan al-Kattani suffered four months of pretrial detention in Sala prison, from where he was kidnapped and taken to an unknown location and subsequently abused. There he was put in solitary confinement and stripped of all his clothes except what covers the private parts. He was not Allowed to have a Quran nor speak to others. Even reciting prayers aloud was not allowed. From the secret prison he was then transferred to ‘Ain al-Birja prison in Casablanca where he was locked up in a filthy toilet.
As for the trial itself, then it was the quickest ever in history. Despite his refutation of all the charges against him and argumentation with the judge, who could not prove any crime against him, al-Kattani was unjustly sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. To note he was not charged based on evidence by the police or any investigation of any crime but instead based upon alleged confessions by a group of brothers that stated they attended lessons by him on: “The Principles of Salafi Jihadism”! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: A Voice For The Political Detainees In Morocco, abduction, Abdullah Al-Manfa’a, Adil Al-Fardawi, Ain Al-Birja prison, forced confession, forced nudity, Hassan Al-Kattani, http://hibapress.com, http://marocreality.com/, Knitra central prison, medical negligence, Mohammed al-Dahbi, Mohammed al-Shadli, Morocco, Nourdeen Nafi’a, pretrial detention, Sala prison, Salafi Jihadism, Sale, solitary confinement, torture, Toulal Prison, Umar al-Hadushi, Umar Mulay Hadi al-Umrani, Youssef Al-Khudri
Yesterday the 10th of August 2011 my mother-in-law and I went to visit Mohamed. He explained to us that as a result of complaining about the noisy old refrigerator in his room, he was removed from his cell, a man was brought in, Mohamed’s eyes were blindfolded, and his hands handcuffed behind his back, and knocked to the floor. He was then beaten, kicked, stood on. He was told that he should think about the consequences before he complains about something again.
Unfortunately I was unable to say much to him on hearing his story. I cried and cried and managed to tell him to have “sabr”. He didnt even manage to smile to his children. He seemed to be somewhat in shock. He showed absolutely no emotion, he was cold and sad. He gave us the name of the man responsible for the beating, and said that this same man was responsible for the torture in May and June.
His name is Younes Bouazizi, and please dear sisters, my husband has asked me to make this name known to the world.
Jasakum Allahu Khairan
- Wife of Mohamed Al Haajib
Tags: Mohamed Al Haajib, Morocco, Sala, Sale, torture, YOUNES BOUAZIZI
Zanchi Jessica on her Husband Youness & Moroccan Prisoners of Conscious
That day in Casablanca I was present. We were playing in the living room with our child during lunchtime. From the terrace, our maid told us that there was a man asking for Youness at the door. Youness left our child and went down, still in pajamas and slippers. He never came back.
A Full-blown Kidnapping
The police slammed him into a car and took him away, blindfolded the entire way so that he would not recognize the destination. But from the cries of tortured prisoners, the smell of the cells, the perpetual illumination, the interrogations in the middle of the night, and the massive doses of psychotropic drugs sufficed him to recognize the secret prison of Temara, in which he was held in 2005. Youness passed 26 days there, where they kept him hungry, and lost 13kg in weight. After that I saw him in the prison of Salé Rabat. It’s been one year and one month since May, when he was condemned to five years.
I’d love to tell you that we’re fine, that we are able to stand the test of Allah … But today is a really difficult day for us. I spent the last two days in prison, and I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears what the Moroccan police have done to our brothers … They came in at 9 am, armed with guns, tear gas and water cannons … I saw and felt the shots in succession, the smoke of the tear gas came down to us in the street outside the prison. And I, who has asthma, I could not breathe and I had to continually inhale Ventolin. Just imagine the brothers inside the prison, deprived of everything.
My husband was sleeping when he was thrown out of bed quickly and was told to get on the roof because the soldiers were coming with lots of weapons and tear gas. The families were close to the prison, without being able to do anything but cry and pray for their loved ones. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: abuse, Fes, forced confession, Maryam Jessica, medical negligence, Mekness, Morocco, Sala, Salé Rabat, Sale, Temera, torture, Youness Zarli, Zanchi Jessica
On Wednesday, 20th July last I went to visit my husband Mohamed Hajib with his mother and two of my children. I was very nervous to say the least, because I hadnt seen my husband since the 8th May last, before he was transported to Tulal prison Meknes on the 17th of May, tortured, hospitalized and all of his belongings stolen from prison Zaki Sale.
We were only allowed to bring water and pre-cooked food, and the fresh underwear etc. which we brought for him, were given back to us. We were then called into the visiting room, where my husband was waiting with a prison guard on either side of him. I got a fright on seeing him. He has lost a lot of weight, is very slim, pale and messy looking, as opposed to the broad, tall, very well groomed, healthy man I am used to seeing. I was distraught.
My husband and I speak to oneanother in German, and always have done (we met as students in Germany).
When I started to speak to my husband, the prison guards literally panicked, and told me to stop talking, due to the fact that they were unable to understand what I was saying. I refused to do so, and after five minutes we were told to leave. I found Mohamed very quiet, disturbingly quiet, I was very bothered, but he continued to say to his mother and I – “dont worry”. It was if he was afraid to say anything infront of the prison guards.
My husband stood behind a fence from ceiling to floor (was quite cage-like, similar to those for animals in the zoo) and we stood behind another. My husband was unable to take his children in his arms. My eldest son, Omar Khattab (nearly six years old), was distraught, and informed me after the visit that he no longer wants to visit his father, because he cant hug and kiss him. This brought tears to my eyes.
He is in a room with nine other detainees. He remains in his room day and night. This was the only information I was able to get out of him in German. I have been unable to get his pale face, and dismal appearance out of my mind since I visited him on Wednesday. I myself am having problems sleeping. I just cant describe his state of mind. Whether he was afraid to speak or he has been to a certain extent disturbed by his experiences over the past two months.
How can this be allowed to happen at a time when the Moroccan Authorities are speaking of the improvement in Human Rights. Please HELP.
If my husband, usually a very healthy man looks run-down, feable and unhealthy, then the prisoners who have health problems, have absolutely no chance at all. May Allah help and protect the ill detainees.
-Wife of Mohammed Al-Haajib, from A Voice for the Political Detainees in Morocco
Tags: inhumane treatment, medical negligence, Morocco, Sala, Sale, torture
All praise is due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon his messenger, his family, his companions and those who adhere to him.
To proceed:
I am shaykh Abu Mouadh Nourdine Nafi’a, who is currently held in Kenitra central prison. Prisoner number: 26512, I am the one signed below, Nourdine Nafi’a who is sentenced to 20 years based on fabricated evidence under the guise of “combating terror”. I reiterate that I am innocent of all charges against me. I am a victim of American policies in the region. To clarify this I will outline what I and my wife have been through of suffering and violations in the dungeons of the secret services.
I am a Moroccan citizen, a member of the Islamic movement since the 80s. A Muslim, Sunni, following the Quran and the noble traditions of the prophet, according to the understanding of our pious predecessors such as Imam Malik, Shafi’i, Ahmed, Abu Hanifa may Allah have mercy upon them. I migrated from my homeland in 1988 to Afghanistan for the intention of joining the “Jihad”. It was not possible to go to Palestine, between me and it were thousands of barriers because of the “Arab cordon states”. My first stop was Europe and after repeated attempts I managed to travel to Pakistan in 1991, then to Afghanistan after the fall of the communist government. I made that country my homeland. In 1998 I left Afghanistan for Syria, Damascus, where I married the sister of Yassine Al-Shaqori who is held is Guantanamo may Allah hasten his release. I began to trade to support my family, travelling between Syria and Turkey for trade.
In the very same year we found out that my wife had a tumor in her head. Hence I used to travel from one hospital to another and from country to another. I increased in my trade transactions and interaction to be able to pay off treatment and travel costs. This continued until I managed with the help of other business men to set up an import and export office. In (Year not mentioned) a doctor advised that it was necessary for my wife to have laser treatment to remove the tumor or she would be in danger of losing her sight. They advised me to travel to Jeddah to carry out the operation. We tried but we couldn’t get a visa for Umrah for Ramadhan 1423 AH, November 2002CE. Some tradesmen advised us to travel to Mauritania where citizenship is relatively easy to get and then to travel to Saudi during the hajj season.
That is what we did. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 16 May, abduction, Abu Mouadh, Afghanistan, Casablanca Bombings, Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, DST, electroshocks, Extraordinary Rendition, forced confession, hunger strike, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, Kenitra, Marrakech, Mauritania, Meknes, Morocco, Nouakchott, Nourdine Nafi’a, Pakistan, Rabat, rape by instrumentality, Rendetion, ruqiyah, Sala, Sala Rabat, Sale, Sale Prison, sexual abuse, Shaykh Abu Mouadh Nourdine Nafi’a, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, sonic torture, sorcery, suicide attempt, Syria, Temera, The Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group, torture, Toulal Prison 2, Yassine al-Shaqori
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