MOROCCO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 9 November 2010 MOROCCO 9 NOVEMBER 2010 Contents Preface Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Western Sahara .................................................................................................... 1.06 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.08 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 Independence to 1999 .......................................................................................... 3.01 Western Sahara .................................................................................................... 3.02 King Mohamed VI’s reign (1999 to date)............................................................. 3.03 2007 Elections ...................................................................................................... 3.04 2009 Local elections............................................................................................. 3.07 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, JULY – OCTOBER 2010....................................................... 4.01 Western Sahara .................................................................................................... 4.01 Freedom of speech and media............................................................................ 4.02 Security ................................................................................................................. 4.03 Useful sources for further information............................................................... 4.04 5. CONSTITUTION.......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 8.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 8.01 Police..................................................................................................................... 8.03 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.05 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 8.08 Arbitrary arrest and detention............................................................................. 8.10 Torture................................................................................................................ 8.13 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.16 Equity and Reconciliation Committee................................................................. 8.17 Advisory Council on Human Rights.................................................................... 8.18 9. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY................................................................................................................ 10.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 10.01 Independence ....................................................................................................... 10.03 Penal Code............................................................................................................ 10.04 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 10.05 Women .................................................................................................................. 10.09 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 11.01 Political prisoners and detainees........................................................................ 11.03 12. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 12.01 Juveniles ............................................................................................................... 12.06 Women .................................................................................................................. 12.07 13. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 13.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 12 October 2010. 9 NOVEMBER 2010 MOROCCO 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 14.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 14.01 Freedom of association and assembly............................................................... 14.03 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 14.07 Al-Adl wal-Ihsan ................................................................................................. 14.11 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA............................................................................... 15.01 Print media............................................................................................................ 15.03 Radio and TV ........................................................................................................ 15.10 Internet .................................................................................................................. 15.12 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 16.01 17. FREEDOM OF RELIGION.............................................................................................. 17.01 18. ETHNIC GROUPS ....................................................................................................... 18.01 19. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .............................................. 19.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 19.02 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities............................................... 19.03 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 19.06 Lesbians................................................................................................................ 19.10 Transgender persons........................................................................................... 19.11 20. DISABILITY ............................................................................................................... 20.01 21. WOMEN ................................................................................................................... 21.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 21.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 21.06 Political rights....................................................................................................... 21.12 Social and economic rights................................................................................. 21.14 Marriage ............................................................................................................. 21.16 Divorce ............................................................................................................... 21.17 Widows and single mothers ............................................................................... 21.18 Custody .............................................................................................................. 21.19 Reproductive rights and contraception............................................................... 21.20 Economic participation ....................................................................................... 21.21 Education ........................................................................................................... 21.23 Freedom to travel ............................................................................................... 21.24 Violence against women...................................................................................... 21.25 Domestic violence .............................................................................................. 21.30 Honour crimes.................................................................................................... 21.32 Government and NGO assistance available ...................................................... 21.33 22. CHILDREN ...............................................................................................................