Moroccan King Mohammed VI has granted Eid Al-Fitr royal pardon to 810 detainees, including prisoners of 17 Al Hoceima movement, the Ministry of Justice revealed on Wednesday.
Among the released are 12 prisoners who were arrested over extremism and terrorism charges.
Security services arrested 17 persons during their participation in protests in the Al Hoceima province over economic and social issues between 2016 and 2017.
However, Morocco’s Ministry of Justice said that the royal pardon took into account “family and human circumstances.”
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper learned that Nasser Zefzafi (the leader of the protest movement) and Nabil Ahmajik were excluded from the pardon.
A number of local media reported that some of those pardoned had earlier received sentences up to 20 years in prison.
Up to 28 detainees had also received pardon for the remainder of their prison sentences, while around 576 detainees will have their prison sentences reduced.
