«Identity checks carried out by the national security services on Thursday in Al Hoceima led to the arrest of six people among the participants to a demonstration which was not registered with the public authorities and consequently banned». The local authorities of the city of Al Hoceima, quoted by the news agency MAP, said on Friday.«It has been found that the arrested persons had search warrants issued against them for cases of ordinary offenses», said the same source. The local authorities of the Rif capital said that«four of the arrested individuals are wanted for economic and financial crimes by the security services and the Royal Gendarmerie at Al Hoceima, Taza and El Jadida». One of the arrestees was wanted «for his participation in the riots in the city of Beni Bouayach on June 16, 2017», and another one for a criminal case. The security services have opened judicial inquiries against the arrested persons under the supervision of the relevant prosecutors, concludes a reporter of the MAP news agency. While authorities only mention 6 arrests, the Al Hoceima section of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) evokes a higher figure. On Friday on Twitter, AMDH-Al Hoceima first said that the «activists talk about several arrests». The NGO reported in a second tweet that «35 arrests» took place on Thursday during the Al Hoceima march and the clashes that followed its ban by local authorities. Via AMDH Hoceima : 35 arrestations aujourd'hui à Hoceima et une violente répression à Ajdir (5 km de Hoceima) — AMDH Rabat (@AMDHRabat) July 20, 2017
