More than 1,500 people are facing prosecution in Morocco over recent GenZ 212 protests demanding better public education and health care, a local NGO said Friday.
About a thousand of the suspects are currently in custody, and 240 have already been sentenced by a court in Agadir, in the south -- 39 of them to prison terms of between six and 15 years -- according to Souad Brahma, president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH).
Hundreds more have been handed sentences ranging from three months to a year by other courts, she said.
The main charges include organizing unauthorized protests, possession of bladed weapons, property damage, and insults or violence against security forces, said Brahma, who urged authorities "to guarantee fair trials for all those being prosecuted."
She also called for "impartial investigations into (rights) violations that took place during the protests."
Starting late last month, the online GenZ 212 collective organized a series of demonstrations seeking reforms in the health and education sectors, as well as "an end to corruption."
In the initial days of the protests, when the gatherings were banned, police made hundreds of arrests.
Two nights were marked by violence, including in Agadir, where three people were killed in clashes, though organizers insisted on their commitment to nonviolent protest.
They have called for fresh "peaceful" protests on Saturday and Sunday.
For two weeks, the demonstrations were held on a near-daily basis, but they have gradually waned in both frequency and turnout, particularly after a speech by Morocco's king calling for social reforms and the announcement of a draft budget laying out improvements to health and education.
Social inequalities have been a major challenge in Morocco, where deep regional disparities persist alongside a gap between the public and private sectors.
AFP
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