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King Mohammed VI Grants Pardon to 742 Detainees on Prophet’s Birthday

The King of Morocco presiding over a religious ceremony in Rabat. (MAP)
The King of Morocco presiding over a religious ceremony in Rabat. (MAP)
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King Mohammed VI Grants Pardon to 742 Detainees on Prophet’s Birthday

The King of Morocco presiding over a religious ceremony in Rabat. (MAP)
The King of Morocco presiding over a religious ceremony in Rabat. (MAP)

Marking Prophet’s birthday, King Mohammed VI has granted pardon to 742 detainees, sentenced by various courts across the country, according to a press release from the Ministry of Justice.

Beneficiaries of the Royal Pardon in detention amount to 528 detainees, including 22 convicts who benefited from pardon over their remaining prison terms.

About 503 detainees had their prison sentence commuted, while 3 detainees saw their life imprisonment commuted to a fixed-term sentence.

Beneficiaries of the Royal Pardon who are free amount to 214, including 50 inmates that benefited from pardon over their prison sentence or its remainder.

The number also includes 8 people who benefited from pardon over their prison sentence with their fines maintained.

This category also features 146 people who saw their fines annulled, while nine others saw both their prison and fine sentences annulled.

One person benefited from pardon over the remainder of their prison term and had their fine annulled.

King Mohammed VI presided over a religious ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Hassan Mosque in Rabat, in commemoration of Prophet’s birthday. The Sovereign was accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid, Prince Moulay Ahmed, and Prince Moulay Ismail.

The Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, presented the report on the activities of the Ulemas of the Supreme Council and local councils, before handing over the report to the Sovereign.

Toufiq also assured that the scholars, through their main task of “Tabligh” or communication, are working to establish a sound methodology based on their rich experience.

Subsequently, the King awarded the Mohammed VI Prize for Islamic Thought and to Ibrahim Id Ibrahim from the city of Agadir. This prize is awarded annually to reward eminent scientific personalities and encourage them to conduct research in the field of Islamic studies, in accordance with the teachings of the noble Sharia, which advocates the pursuit of knowledge and encourages its beneficial use.

The King was then greeted by Hamza Sabou from the city of Tangier, who received the International Mohammed VI Prize for Memorization, Recitation, and Exegesis of the Holy Quran from the Sovereign.

The Sovereign also presented the International Mohammed VI Prize for Quranic Recitation with Memorization of five Hizbs to Omar Ben Abdelaziz El Baridi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Arab World

Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
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Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon on Friday, including fishermen who have long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn.
During the last two months of its year fighting Hezbollah, Israel imposed a siege on southern Lebanon that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore, upending their lives and the industry.
While less important than destruction and displacement, the port siege cut many people off from the key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes like sayadiyeh — fish and rice boiled in fish sauce — or fried and grilled fish eaten with dips such as hummus and tabbouleh or fattoush salads.
The loss of fish damaged a deep association with home, but now the possibility of renewed Lebanese fishing on the country's southern coast is helping fuel hope for a brighter future.
On Friday, a few boats went out close to the shore as fishers in the port worked on the nets of small boats painted white, blue or red.
Hussein Sukmani, 55, said Friday that he was considering going to sea in coming days but was waiting to see how things unfold.
He hasn't dared set sail since the Israel-Hezbollah war dramatically intensified on Sept. 23. “They were days of fear and horror,” he said. "They were the most difficult days of our lives.”
A week ago, a drone strike killed two young fishers in the city as they prepared their nets on the coast, and some fishermen said Friday that the Lebanese army told them that if they headed out it would be at their own risk .
Among those who sailed near the coast on Friday was Walid Darwish, who returned to the port with two plastic boxes filled with mullet.
“Today is the first time that we sail,” Darwish said, adding that fishers had missed the prime season in October and November.
“We lost it,” he said.
The Israeli army barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the border in October and has not said whether the warning is still in effect.
Sukmani said that most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the port have not sailed out of concern since then.
The area around the port is a predominantly Christian neighborhood that has been spared much of the airstrikes on other parts of Tyre that leveled buildings in this city.
In peaceful times, the port is a major tourist attraction, beloved by Lebanese and foreigners who come for the views, the restaurants and the beaches.
On Friday, Mohammed Hammoud walked along the coast of Tyre carrying his fishing rod.
“It is enough that someone is able to stand in this beautiful area,” he said, pointing to the white sands. “Fishing is everything for me,” added Hammoud, who went to fish several times in the area north of the city of Sidon that was not part of the siege.
In the old market of Tyre, Gilbert Spiridon watched from inside his shop as people came to buy freshly brought fish. Before the war, it took hours to sell all his fish to people from around Lebanon.
“All I wish is that the war has ended and we are back on track to the old good days,” he said.