Morocco: AMDH Notification, Following Aïcha Mokhtari’s death!

AMDH Notification, Following Aïcha Mokhtari’s death, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights appeals for the denunciation of the unjust system conditions of issuing visas to Moroccans.

Notification
Following Aïcha Mokhtari’s death, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights appeals for the denunciation of the unjust system conditions of issuing visas to Moroccans
On Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Oujda, the Moroccan citizen Aïcha Mokhtari has died after suffering terribly from bone cancer for over two years.
After her disease detection by Moroccan experts and given the inability to undergo the necessary treatment because of the absence of appropriate conditions in our country, it was decided to transfer her abroad equipped with a Ministry of Health services certified File. Her family intervened to assure her access, at their own expense, to a French Oncology Establishment. Similarly, the complainant submitted the French Consulate in Fez a complete visa application. Unfortunately, his case was set aside because of a serious mistake committed by the Consulate.
Despite the strongly complainant and her family intervention with the French authorities including ministers and President Nicholas Sarcozy himself, the fault has not been corrected and the refusal of the visa confirmed.
Regarding the Moroccan authorities including the Prime Minister, they have not lifted a finger to secure the right to health to a Moroccan citizen suffering from both a fatal disease and the injustice of the French authorities.
Thus, Aïcha Mokhtari has died because of refusal to issue a visa which would have allowed her to enjoy her right to suitable conditions and in the place.
After reading the conditions and circumstances that led to the refusal to issue visas to citizen Aïcha Mokhtari and hence the denial of the right to travel for treatment in a specialized medical institution in France, the Central Office of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, meeting in regular session, Sunday, August 23, 2009, while presenting his condolences to the deceased’s family:
• Condemns the criminal refusal to issue visas to Citizen Aïcha Mokhtari by the French Consulate in Fez whose fatal consequences are the loss of her right to travel for care and thus violated her right to life.
• Denounces the attitude of French authorities who supported the Consulate instead of correcting the fatal error.
• Denounces the Moroccan government authorities’attitude who have failed in their duty to safeguard the rights of free movement and care of the citizen Aïcha Mokhtari.
• Condemns the system of issuing visas to Moroccan citizens wishing to travel to France and other northern countries in general, characterized by unjust, hard, random and humiliating conditions while the Nordic countries citizens taking Morocco’s destination need no more than their passport in general.
• Is determined to launch a campaign to expose the responsibilities in the citizen Aïcha Mokhtari’s death and cooperate with all democratic and human rights defenders in Morocco and internationally to denounce the conditions of French and European visa issuance system to Moroccan citizens, which constitute a violation of universal human rights.
In this context, the Central Office decided to conduct a campaign under the slogan: “Against the granting of the visa inhuman conditions we struggle, the death of Aïcha Mokhtari is not futile.” During this campaign the Central Office:
• Organize a press conference on Tuesday, 1 September 2009 at 10 am at the headquarters of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights to denounce what happened and explain the campaign aims.
• Provide all possible support to the Aïcha Mokhtari’s family efforts to prosecute the responsible for criminal refusal to issue visa to the victim and her deprivation of her right to care.
• Commemorating the fortieth day of Aïcha’s disappearance (Wednesday, September 23) by organizing:
 In Oujda, her hometown, a meeting by the AMDH Section in collaboration with the victim’s family.
 In Fez, a sit-in in front of the Consulate of France.
 In Rabat, a sit-in in front of the Embassy of France.
 In Rabat, also, a symposium on human rights and visa.
• Send a letter to the President of the French Republic and another one to the Prime Minister of Morocco.
• Circulate a petition to be signed by the democratic organizations on Aïcha’s death and the visa.
The Central Office
Rabat, August 24, 2009

www.amdh.org.ma