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Morocco Tests Entire Prison Population at Ouarzazate

Moroccan security officer checks people at a roadblock in the capital Rabat for exemption from confinement orders. AFP file photo
Moroccan security officer checks people at a roadblock in the capital Rabat for exemption from confinement orders. AFP file photo
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Morocco Tests Entire Prison Population at Ouarzazate

Moroccan security officer checks people at a roadblock in the capital Rabat for exemption from confinement orders. AFP file photo
Moroccan security officer checks people at a roadblock in the capital Rabat for exemption from confinement orders. AFP file photo

The General Delegation for Prison Administration and Rehabilitation (DGAPR) decided to test all inmates at Ouarzazate prison in southern Morocco as part of preventative measures to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision comes after positive cases among prison staff and inmates.

The testing of staff members was carried out in two groups. The first had 36 out of 61 employees testing positive, while in group two, 24 out of 65 tested positive. In addition, six out of 17 inmates tested have already confirmed infections.

After the first coronavirus cases were recorded in the country, human rights organizations demanded the release of a number of prisoners to avoid a possible surge in infections.

Earlier this month, King Mohammed VI pardoned at least 5,654 prisoners due to the extreme vulnerability of inmates.

The Justice Ministry said they were selected on the basis of their age, frail health, time spent in prison and good conduct.

Prison staff and inmates who contracted the virus will be required to follow treatment as advised by health authorities, and uninfected staff will be placed in quarantine and required to adhere to strict precautionary measures, according to DGAPR.

The General Delegation also decided to appoint a new director for Ouarzazate prison and mobilize sufficient number of employees from other institutions to compensate the shortage.

New prisoners will be put in a special section and examined by medical staff before taken to the cells. In addition, new inmates who declare they had been in direct contact with foreigners will be isolated for 14 days until their health status was confirmed.

DGAPR also expressed concern over the potential psychological impact of COVID-19 on detainees. Prisoners suffering from psychological stress during this time will receive online support.

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Mounting Tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan Over Delayed Salaries

Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)
Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)
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Mounting Tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan Over Delayed Salaries

Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)
Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)

Public frustration is surging across Sulaymaniyah province in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, as government employees face their second consecutive month without pay. The delays have deepened economic hardship and triggered a slowdown in local markets.

Calls for mass protests intensified in recent days as salaries have remained unpaid since May. With June nearing its end, authorities have yet to announce when workers will receive their wages. Demonstrations planned for Thursday were ultimately stifled by heavy security deployments.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that security forces detained numerous activists and teachers demanding their salaries, along with journalists attempting to cover the protests.

The Metro Center for the Defense of Journalists’ Rights condemned the wave of arrests. Its coordinator, Rahman Gharib, said that security forces apprehended activists, politicians, and reporters on Wednesday and Thursday merely for planning to participate in demonstrations expressing legitimate demands for fair pay and dignified living conditions.

Since 2015, public employees in Kurdistan have repeatedly faced salary delays, the result of deep-rooted financial disputes between Baghdad and the regional government in Erbil.

Kurdistan’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced Wednesday that the federal government would send a delegation within two days to resolve the crisis. He stressed that employees’ wages should be kept separate from political disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil.

Earlier this month, Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami ordered the suspension of funding for Kurdistan’s salaries and other entitlements, citing the region’s alleged breach of its 12.67 percent budget share. The Kurdish government has since appealed to the international community to help end the deadlock.

Amid the salary crisis, Kurdistan’s Labor Minister Kwestan Muhammad warned of a surge in drug abuse and trafficking across the region. Speaking Thursday at an event marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse, she said Kurdistan had once been nearly free of narcotics, but has now become a key corridor for smuggling drugs, especially toward Canada, via cross-border networks.

She revealed that last month alone, authorities detained 5,746 people on criminal charges, with 1,576 arrests linked to drug offenses. Among them were 1,486 men and 81 women, highlighting how deeply the problem has spread in society.

The region’s security services also disclosed that in the first half of this year, 520 suspects were arrested in drug-related cases, including 243 users and others accused of trafficking.