Morocco: King Mohammed VI pardons 673 people on Youth Day

On the occasion of the Youth Day, HM King Mohammed VI has granted his pardon to 673 people sentenced by the different Moroccan courts, said a statement by the ministry of justice, according to a news report by Maghreb Arabe Presse.

The detained beneficiaries of the pardon are 522 and are divided into:

• 220 inmates who benefited from pardon over their remaining prison term.
• 298 prisoners who had their prison terms reduced.
• 4 inmates who had their prison sentences commuted from life imprisonment to fixed prison terms.

The free beneficiaries of the pardon are 151 and are divided into:

• 70 people who benefited from pardon over their prison terms or remaining prison sentence.
• 6 people who benefited from pardon over their imprisonment terms while their fines were maintained.
• 70 people had their fines annulled.
• 3 people who benefited from pardon over their prison terms and fines as well.
• 2 people who benefited from pardon over their fines and a remaining prison sentence.

The royal pardon is customary in Morocco to mark national and religious holidays.

Earlier, King Mohammed VI had warned for potential new lockdown as COVID-19 cases spike in the country. The warning came as a jump in infections in the once-bustling tourist hub of Marrakech strained health services and led to protests by medical staff in recent days.