Morocco Official Confirms Importance of Judiciary’s Independence

Men, accused in the killing of a Danish and Norwegian hikers in the Atlas mountains near Marrakech, are seen inside a car after leaving the courtroom in Sale, near Rabat, Morocco, July 18, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Men, accused in the killing of a Danish and Norwegian hikers in the Atlas mountains near Marrakech, are seen inside a car after leaving the courtroom in Sale, near Rabat, Morocco, July 18, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
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Morocco Official Confirms Importance of Judiciary’s Independence

Men, accused in the killing of a Danish and Norwegian hikers in the Atlas mountains near Marrakech, are seen inside a car after leaving the courtroom in Sale, near Rabat, Morocco, July 18, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Men, accused in the killing of a Danish and Norwegian hikers in the Atlas mountains near Marrakech, are seen inside a car after leaving the courtroom in Sale, near Rabat, Morocco, July 18, 2019. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

Morocco’s first president of the Court of Cassation, deputy chairman of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) Mustapha Fares said that the independence of the judiciary has served as a pillar for guaranteeing rights, safeguarding freedoms, responding to grievances, fighting corruption and achieving judicial security.

He added that the independence has contributed to building a new Morocco.

In an official session held in Rabat, Fares reviewed the results of the first two years of public prosecution being independent of the country’s justice ministry.

In 2017, Morocco transferred the office of the public prosecution from the ministry, part of the executive branch, to the Court of Cassation, part of the judicial branch.

On the other hand, Fares called on judges across the Kingdom to “safeguard the sanctity of the courts and the prestige of those working in them, through upholding commitment to moral values and legal duties.”

“The CSPJ will support combating all forms of corruption, imbalances and improprieties,” he added.

Fares also called on the judiciary to ensure that courts are effective models of judicial administration and spaces that produce rapid and advanced justice, pointing out that “there is no room for leniency with brokers who trade the problems and concerns of citizens for personal gains.”



Israeli Strike Wounds a Hospital Chief in Besieged Northern Gaza, Health Officials Say

A Palestinian man gestures toward ambulances transporting victims of Israeli bombing to the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A Palestinian man gestures toward ambulances transporting victims of Israeli bombing to the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Israeli Strike Wounds a Hospital Chief in Besieged Northern Gaza, Health Officials Say

A Palestinian man gestures toward ambulances transporting victims of Israeli bombing to the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A Palestinian man gestures toward ambulances transporting victims of Israeli bombing to the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

An Israeli strike has wounded the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of Gaza, local and international health officials said.

Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya was in his office when it was hit by an Israeli quadcopter drone on Sunday, according to the humanitarian organization MedGlobal.

The doctor was wounded by shrapnel in his thigh and back, causing serious bleeding that requires surgical care, the aid group said. Abu Safiya is the lead physician in Gaza for MedGlobal, which has worked in Gaza since 2018.

Dr. Munir al-Boursh, director general of Gaza's Health Ministry, posted a video to social media on Monday showing Abu Safiya limping and leaning on a crutch while speaking to patients inside the hospital.

The Israeli military said it was unaware of a strike on the grounds of Kamal Adwan Hospital and said it does its utmost to avoid harming civilians.

During the past month, Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit several times, was put under siege and was raided by Israeli troops, who are waging a heavy offensive in the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp and towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military says it detained Hamas fighters hiding in the hospital, a claim its staff denies.

Abu Safiya said Israeli strikes on the hospital last week wounded nine medical staff and damaged the generator and oxygen systems. He said the hospital was treating 85 wounded, 14 children in the pediatric ward and four newborns in the neonatal unit.

Israel also denied knowledge of conducting any strikes on in the area of the hospital at that time.