Maghreb Edition

Morocco: Health of jailed intellectual Maatib Monjib reportedly deterioratingF

Posted On 11 March 2021

Number of times this article was read : 488

Supporters of a jailed Moroccan historian and rights activist expressed “serious concern” for his health on Wednesday, days after he began a hunger strike. The support committee for 60-year-old Maatib Monjib “expresses its serious concern about the effects of (his) hunger strike on his health and on his life”, it said in a statement. Monjib was arrested in December after prosecutors said they had seized evidence of money transfers and real estate assets beyond the means of the historian and his family.

A Moroccan court sentenced him in January to one year in prison for fraud and undermining state security, as part of a trial that opened in 2015. His defence team said they were not told about the hearing and Monjib purportedly was not in attendance. Monjib launched the hunger strike to “protest against the injustice of which he has been victim”, the committee statement said. It renewed appeals for the immediate release of the “prisoner of conscience”. In a statement on Facebook in November saying he had contracted the novel coronavirus, Monjib said he also suffered from heart problems and diabetes. He began his hunger strike last Thursday in order to draw attention to his situation since his “wrongful arrest”, according to an earlier statement released by his supporters.

Rights group Amnesty International in January urged Morocco to release Monjib and drop all charges, saying the kingdom was on a “relentless quest” to curtail his right to freedom of expression and “bully him into submission”. The historian has said his “critical writing about the political system and the police, and my human rights activities” are at the root of his “persecution”. The DGAPR prison administration authority said in a statement that Monjib, incarcerated in the El Arjat prison near Rabat, had been “placed under medical monitoring” on Monday. It said it had only been informed of Monjib’s hunger strike that day, and disputed the hunger strike’s start date. The prison unsuccessfully “tried to persuade him to drop his action because of the impact on his health”, the authority said in a statement Monday. Moroccan judicial authorities have said Monjib received a “fair trial”.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Mali Army, Russian Allies Accused of Executing Civilians Near Mauritania BorderF

Seven Malian refugees traveling from Mauritania were allegedly executed by Malian soldiers and Russian Africa Corps personnel near Ahl El Kory, close to the Mauritanian border, after their vehicles were stopped on March 6. Local sources say the unarmed Fulani civilians were shot or had their throats cut, while other passengers were beaten, questioned as suspected jihadists, then released.

Niger: Armed Attacks Target Military Bases in TahouaF

Armed militants launched coordinated assaults on military facilities in Tahoua, a strategic city in northwestern Niger. The attacks targeted Air Base 401 at the local airport and the headquarters of the 42nd Inter‑Arms Battalion. Nigerien forces repelled both assaults after intense fighting, leaving several soldiers lightly wounded and multiple attackers dead, with five suspects arrested.

Global Energy Markets Jolt as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Oil FlowsF

Oil prices surged toward $119 per barrel as the conflict involving Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Persian Gulf, forcing several Gulf producers to reduce output and pushing governments to consider emergency energy measures. Saudi Arabia joined Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE in cutting production as shipments stalled and storage capacity tightened. With hundreds of tankers idling near the Strait of Hormuz and major shipping insurers suspending coverage, the crisis is rapidly evolving from a regional military conflict into a global energy shock.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.