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Morocco Slams Remarks Made by US State Department Spokesman

A Moroccan activist holds a banner with the image of Moroccan journalist Suleiman Raissouni, who was sentenced to five years in prison, as his supporters protest on July 10, 2021, in the capital Rabat demanding his release. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
A Moroccan activist holds a banner with the image of Moroccan journalist Suleiman Raissouni, who was sentenced to five years in prison, as his supporters protest on July 10, 2021, in the capital Rabat demanding his release. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
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Morocco Slams Remarks Made by US State Department Spokesman

A Moroccan activist holds a banner with the image of Moroccan journalist Suleiman Raissouni, who was sentenced to five years in prison, as his supporters protest on July 10, 2021, in the capital Rabat demanding his release. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
A Moroccan activist holds a banner with the image of Moroccan journalist Suleiman Raissouni, who was sentenced to five years in prison, as his supporters protest on July 10, 2021, in the capital Rabat demanding his release. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Morocco’s Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights (DIDH) has described the US State Department spokesperson's statement on two controversial court cases as based on "one-sided" information coming exclusively from supporters of the accused.

DIDH issued a press release in response to Ned Price’s comments on a Casablanca court’s sentencing of journalist Suleiman Raissouni to five years in prison.

“This information knowingly obscured the point of view of the complainants and their defenses, going so far as to deny their very status of victim and their universally recognized right to lodge a complaint,” the Delegation said.

It also emphasized Morocco’s attachment to respecting the fundamental rights of all people, whatever their status, citing the independence of the judiciary in the country.

“Morocco remains deeply attached to the consolidation of the values of individual and collective freedoms, in particular the freedoms of expression and association, which are constantly developing,” DIDH concluded.

The State Department criticized Morocco for sentencing detained journalist Suleiman Raissouni to five years in prison and called for press freedoms to be protected.

"We believe the judicial process that led to this verdict contradicts the Moroccan system's fundamental promise of fair trials for individuals accused of crimes and is inconsistent with the promise of the 2011 constitution and King Mohammed VI's reform agenda," Price told reporters.

"Press freedom is foundational to prosperous and secure societies, and governments must ensure that journalists can safely perform their essential roles without fear of unjust attention, violence, or threats," he added.

On Friday, a court in Casablanca sentenced Raissouni to five years in prison and fined him 100,000 dirhams ($10,000).

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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).

The Syrian Military Operations Administration has been pressing its security campaigns aimed at disarming former regime militia remnants and combating drug traffickers across Syria.

On Tuesday, for the third time, the administration, in collaboration with the General Security Directorate, launched a large-scale operation in western rural Homs. The campaign focused on the villages of Jabbourin Rafain, Al-Haysa, Jabbourin, Qaniyat Al-Assi, Tasnin, Kafrnan, Akrad Al-Dasniya, and their surroundings. Simultaneous campaigns were conducted in Aleppo’s Nairab district, Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, and northern Daraa.

Security sources said the operation in rural Homs targets “remnants of Assad militias who refused to surrender their weapons, arms depots, drug dealers, and traffickers,” according to an official statement from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Military reinforcements were dispatched to support the campaign in the targeted areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the operation in the village of Jabbourin in rural Hama marked the second such operation within a week. The observatory noted that several civilians and military personnel, including those who had reconciled with the government, were arrested. Some detainees were later released, while others remain under investigation.

Residents in rural Homs expressed significant concern about the proliferation of weapons, incidents of abductions, and the escalating fear of retribution. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, they noted a prevailing sense of unease and insecurity, as anonymous actors exploit the current chaos to fuel tensions and instability.

The General Security Directorate in Homs has urged residents in western rural Homs villages and towns to fully cooperate with its forces and the Military Operations Administration to ensure the success of the campaign’s objectives.

In Daraa, southern Syria, the Daraa 24 network reported that the General Security Directorate carried out a raid in the city of Izraa, north of Daraa. During the operation, large quantities of weapons were seized, and warnings were issued to individuals still in possession of firearms to surrender them “to preserve the region’s security and stability.”

An earlier security operation in the Lajat region, located between the Suwayda and Daraa governorates, resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals described as former regime remnants, drug traffickers, and arms dealers. The Syrian Interior Ministry also announced the arrest of “remnant elements and members of a gang involved in the theft of weapons from a warehouse in the Mazraa project area of Damascus.”

Meanwhile, the General Security Directorate released several former regime elements in Damascus after verifying their lack of involvement in violations against the Syrian people. According to local sources cited by Syrian Television, several conscripts detained in Adra Prison in Damascus were freed on Tuesday, with additional releases expected in the coming days.

Last week, the General Security Directorate released 360 detainees, including former regime officers, out of approximately 800 people arrested as part of the Homs security campaign. Following investigations, the authorities confirmed that those individuals were not in possession of weapons and had pledged not to engage in activities against the new Syrian administration.