Morocco is poised to vote on abolishing the death penalty for the first time, a significant step in its human rights evolution. Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi announced on December 9 that the country will back a UN resolution for a moratorium on executions, set to be discussed at the UN General Assembly on December 15.
“This reflects Morocco’s commitment to the right to life as enshrined in our Constitution,” Ouahbi said, referencing Article 20. The move will establish a two-year moratorium, with plans to amend the penal code to permanently abolish the death penalty.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD), however, reaffirmed its support for retaining capital punishment for severe crimes. “We maintain that the death penalty serves justice and deters grave violations of the right to life, as prescribed by the Holy Qur’an,” the PJD stated in a communiqué.
Morocco has not carried out an execution since 1993, but courts continue to hand down death sentences, particularly for terrorism and murder. Currently, 88 individuals are on death row.
Human rights activists have hailed the upcoming vote as a crucial milestone. The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights vowed to keep pushing for complete abolition, stating: “We will continue our struggle until Morocco abolishes the death penalty from all civil and military laws.”
Morocco’s gradual shift has seen 161 death sentences commuted to life imprisonment since 2020. The National Human Rights Council highlighted that 38 of the country’s 41 historical executions were politically motivated.
