5 Black African Refugees Bagged 31 days imprisonment plus 500 dirhams fine

Concerned Migrants Group(C-M-G)Worldwide (NGO), being in Morocco, is one of the living witnesses to all what refugees and immigrants
(documented/undocumented), especially the sub-saharan Africans are passing through in the hands of Morocco authorities. So, we "knew exactly where the shoes really pinches".

On Monday afternoon (27-07-2009) as scheduled, we and some other
organizations as well as sympathizers converged at the court premises as from 1.30pm to 4.30pm morocco time, although, few people were allowed into the court room while the rest of us stood outside the court gate.

At the end of the judgement, the Justice convicted the five UN refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast arrested during disturbances in early July in Rabat to one month imprisonment and each must also pay a fine of 500 dirhams (50 euros). The allegation of "illegal residence" was dropped, while they were being convicted for violence attack on a government official during the clashes with police in front of the UNHCR office.

Their jail term is to commence from the date of their arrest (02/07/2009) while anticipating to leave the prison of Salé, a city near Rabat in early August. Nearly about 65 refugees, waited anxiously for the verdict, welcomed it as a first victory and want to continue to fight for their essential requirement for admission (resettlement) in a third country, since there are no opportunities for integration in Morocco.

The Civil Party, according to a source said that, the state trial is a
camouflaged and have since vow to file an appeal.

CONCERNED MIGRANTS GROUP(C-M-G)WORLDWIDE.

juillet 5th, 2009 at 16 h 19 min, Concerned Migrants wrote:
It is a big blow, and in actual fact, a heavy blow to UNHCR that morocco police authority could raised their hands and flogged 'a hell out of' almost all the recognized refugees (including many women and children) on Thursday 02 July 2009, simply for staging a peaceful protest demanding their refugees rights( refugees asked for resettlement, because their rights are not respected in Morocco). At least 4 refugees were seriously injured and had to be brought to a hospital and one of them is in a critical state. Some refugees were arrested, but the exact number and names are not yet known.

The morocco police not only beaten the refugees but also beaten the UN
that constitutes the body( UNHCR ) of which morocco is a member. A
civilized country would never act in such a way. What offence could they have committed that lead to such assault?
In fact, Morocco, despite having signed the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees, refuses to recognise the identity card issued by UNHCR and to grant those who are in its possession the associated rights.
http://www.dzactiviste.info/2009/07/04/solidarite-avec-la-lutte-des-refugies-au-maroc/

This latest embarrassment justifies the past killings of some sub-saharan Africans by the morocco security agents under the guise of imposing immigration laws.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7807423.stm

Will the UN fold its hands and watch while those in possession of HCR
Status be subjected to ill treatment? Not to talk about the sufferings
under-going by the undocumented African migrants in the hands of this
agents. This is a gross violation of human rights that need to be address.

Respectively Submitted,
For: Concerned Migrants Group(C-M-G)Worldwide.
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