Zakaria Moumni

Zakaria Moumni (Arabic: زكرياء مومني); born 4 February 1980 is a former kickboxer who was detained by the Moroccan authorities between September 2010 and February 2012.

Torture incident

According to Moumni he was arrested in September 2010 upon his arrival at the Rabat–Salé Airport, he was then blindfolded and taken to a place he'd later identify as the Temara interrogation centre. He was beaten and raped for several days . He was then tried on serious charges and convicted of "immigration scam" based on the testimony of two people he'd never seen. He was then taken to Zaki prison in Salé where he remained until February 2012 when he was released after being issued a royal pardon from Mohammed VI.[1][2]

Later the Moroccan state sued Moumni and the other plaintiffs in a Paris court for libel.[3] Despite several credible reports, including by the US Department of State, which point to the use of torture and arbitrary detention in Morocco. Additionally Morocco has been several times identified as the location of a CIA Black site where Moroccan services tortured foreign terrorism suspects allegedly at the request of the US.[4][5]

Mohand Laenser, Morocco's minister of the Interior between 2012 and October 2013, has denied having met or even knowing Moumni while he was minister.

References

  1. ^ Florence Beaugé (14 October 2011). "Zakaria Moumni dans l'enfer des geôles marocaines". Le Monde. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  2. ^ "L'ex-champion de boxe Zakaria Moumni, accusé d'escroquerie et détenu depuis 17 mois au Maroc a été gracié samedi par le roi Mohammed VI". Libération. 4 February 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  3. ^ "لمغرب يلجأ الى مفهوم العدالة الكونية لملاحقة الأسفري والمطالسي والمومني بسبب الدعاوي التي رفعوها ضد مدير المخابرات". Alifpost. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Un rapport de la CIA confirme l'existence de centres de torture au Maroc". Telquel. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  5. ^ Prince Moulay Hicham El Alaoui (9 April 2014). Journal d'un Prince Banni: Demain le Maroc (Grasset ed.). Grasset. ISBN 978-2-246-85166-0. J'y rencontre un journaliste du Washington Post, Barton Gellman, l'un de mes anciens condisciples à Princeton, qui m'apprend – c'est alors un scoop – que le Maroc accueille un « site noir ». Autrement dit, mon pays est impliqué dans les extraordinary renditions, c'est-à-dire qu'il fait partie des pays qui acceptent de recevoir sur leur sol, en toute illégalité, des prisonniers de la CIA pour les interroger à leur façon « musclée ».