For 18 months they sat in a Moroccan prison accused of colluding with enemies of the state. Then, unexpectedly, Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmed Naciri walked free.
The three men, who advocate independence for the disputed territory of Western Sahara, were among scores of political prisoners freed earlier this month.
The releases follow pledges of democratic reform last month by King Mohamed VI. However, analysts say that he is trying to outpace protesters seeking to reduce his power and to burnish Morocco's image ahead of a United Nations vote this week on whether to extend its peacekeeping presence in Western Sahara, which is in its 21st year.
"Morocco wants to show that it is at the forefront of liberalism in the region," said Michael Willis, professor of Moroccan and Mediterranean Studies at Oxford University.
The wave of Arab-world protests that began in December in Tunisia reached Morocco in February, when thousands marched to condemn corruption and demand a smaller role for the country's monarchy.
While many Arab governments have responded to peaceful protests with tear gas and live ammunition, Moroccan authorities have with few exceptions allowed them to go ahead.
Last month King Mohamed promised that a new constitution strengthening political parties and establishing an independent judiciary would be drafted by June and put to a referendum.
Critics of the government were not not assuaged. Thousands swarmed the streets again for protests focused on SNI/ONA, a royally owned holding company that for many embodies the clique of businessmen and palace advisers who protesters say wield power behind the scenes.
The protests have left Morocco's leaders scrambling to show that they are serious about reform, said Mohamed Darif, a politics professor at Morocco's Mohammedia University.
Last month King Mohamed established the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), replacing an earlier state human rights body that had a purely advisory role.
Based on recommendations from the council, 96 prisoners were freed outright by royal pardon this month, while 94 others had their sentences shortened.
"We've begun with cases we knew well," said Mohamed Sabbar, the council's secretary general. When it came to high-profile prisoners, "it was clear that these people were in jail for political reasons," he said.
Those pardoned included four moderate Islamist politicians, one leftist politician and a journalist for Al Manar, the Lebanese satellite television network run by Hizbollah. They were arrested on terrorism charges in 2008 and convicted in 2009 based on confessions they say were falsified or extracted under torture.
Also pardoned was human rights activist Chekib el Khayari, a whistleblower on alleged police complicity in drugs trafficking who was jailed in 2009 for "insulting state institutions" and minor banking and currency infractions.
Meanwhile, Morocco also hopes to shore up international support for its policies in Western Sahara, which it claims as its territory. It has occupied the area since invading it in 1975 on the heels of departing Spanish colonisers.
The Polisario Front, Western Sahara's Algerian-backed liberation movement, initially fought a 16-year war for the territory. It wants a referendum on independence in which both native Saharawis and Moroccan newcomers would vote, while Morocco wants only limited self-rule under Moroccan sovereignty for the region. UN-led talks begun in 2007 have so far failed to break the impasse.
When the UN Security Council convenes Wednesday to vote on renewing the mandate of UN peacekeepers in the territory, council members are expected to signal their positions on the dispute.
"There's a feeling of certainty on the part of Morocco that the United States will support the autonomy plan in return for Morocco making political reforms," said Mr Darif.
In addition, Morocco wants to counter efforts by the Polisario to have UN peacekeepers in Western Sahara also serve as human-rights monitors. Morocco, which insists there is no noteworthy human-rights problem in the area, says it will only accept periodic visits by UN human-rights workers.
Morocco's stance is "connected to the idea of saying that none of this is necessary, that Morocco is behaving well," said Anna Theofilopoulou, a former UN official who covered Western Sahara from 1994 to 2006. "The release of Saharawi prisoners is part of the same idea."
Western Saharan pro-independence campaigners say that Moroccan police have illegally detained and tortured their supporters and violently broken up demonstrations - claims that Morocco denies.
Mr Tamek, Mr Dahane and Mr Naciri were arrested in October 2009 as they returned from visiting refugee camps in Algeria run by the Polisario, where they met openly with Polisario officials. They say the trip was for purely humanitarian purposes.
However, the men were initially charged with treason by a military court before being put on trial last year in a civilian court for the lesser charge of harming internal security. Their release this month by a court in Casablanca is provisional pending a verdict.
Since last week authorities have also provisionally released at least 26 Saharawis arrested in November during and after clashes between police and protesters in Laayoune, Western Sahara's main city, according to statements from the Saharawi Association for Victims of Human Rights Violations.
The raft of pardons and other releases is welcome but does not necessarily indicate genuine reform, said Eric Goldstein, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch, who has closely followed the cases of some of those released.
"A better indicator of reform would be an acknowledgement by Moroccan authorities that these individuals were unjustly imprisoned for political motives," he said.
jthorne@thenational.ae
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
More coverage from the Future Forum
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5