International NGO Amnesty International asked, Wednesday, the Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez, who is expected to visit Morocco on Friday, to discuss the human rights situation in Western Sahara and in the Rif, with Rabat. The London-based human rights association has urged the minister to tackle the promotion of freedom of speech and expression in Morocco with the Moroccan authorities, EFE reported. In a note, Amnesty International called Morocco «to put an end to the intimidation of human rights activists and defenders and journalists». It also asked the Kingdom to «stop prosecuting them for apparent political reasons». The press release recalls that in 2019 at least five people were sentenced to prison for «insulting» public officials and that 43 people are serving sentences of up to 20 years for having participated in protests in 2017 in the Rif region. The head of Amnesty International in Spain, Olatz Cacho, said in the same note that Morocco «violates human rights, especially when it comes to freedom of expression, women's rights and those of the LGBT community, migrants and refugees». The NGO also called on the two sides to remove barbed wire fences at the borders of Ceuta and Melilla.
