Moroccan King Pardons 958 Prisoners


Moroccan King Mohammed VI performed the Eid prayer on Monday. (MAP)
Moroccan King Mohammed VI performed the Eid prayer on Monday. (MAP)
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Moroccan King Pardons 958 Prisoners


Moroccan King Mohammed VI performed the Eid prayer on Monday. (MAP)
Moroccan King Mohammed VI performed the Eid prayer on Monday. (MAP)

Moroccan King Mohammed VI granted pardon to 958 prisoners on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the kingdom's Justice Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said that 29 prisoners convicted of extremism and terrorism are among the pardoned people, noting they have participated in an initiative launched by the Moroccan government to rehabilitate terrorists.

Of these prisoners, 23 were released, while six got reductions in their sentences.

Called "Moussalaha," meaning "reconciliation" in Arabic, the program is offered to prisoners who have demonstrated willingness to disavow extremism.

Since 2002, Morocco has dismantled more than 2,000 militant cells and arrested more than 3,500 people accused of links to radical groups.



EU Could Lift Some Syria Sanctions Quickly

FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
TT

EU Could Lift Some Syria Sanctions Quickly

FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa

European Union sanctions in Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly, France's foreign minister said Wednesday.
The United States on Monday issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months after the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule to try to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the EU could take a similar decision soon without giving precise timing, while adding that lifting more political sanctions would depend on how Syria's new leadership handled the transition and ensured exclusivity.
"There are other (sanctions), which today hinder access to humanitarian aid, which hinder the recovery of the country. These could be lifted quickly," said Barrot, who met Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday with Germany's foreign minister.
"Finally, there are other sanctions, which we are discussing with our European partners, which could be lifted, but obviously depending on the pace at which our expectations for Syria regarding women and security are taken into account."
Three European diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity said the EU would seek to agree to lift some sanctions by the time the bloc's 27 foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Jan. 27.
Two of the diplomats said one aim was to facilitate financial transactions to allow funds to return to the country, ease air transport and lessen sanctions targeting the energy sector to improve power supplies.
Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available two or three hours per day in most areas. The caretaker government says it aims to provide electricity for up to eight hours per day within two months.
The US waivers allow some energy transactions and personal remittances to Syria until July 7, but do not remove any sanctions.