King Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to 638 individuals who had been convicted by various courts across Morocco. The pardon, a customary gesture to mark national and religious holidays, was issued on the occasion of Eid Al Mawlid.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 481 of the pardoned individuals were serving prison sentences at the time of the decree. Out of this group, 25 inmates received a full pardon, absolving them of the remainder of their sentences. Additionally, 453 inmates had their prison terms reduced. Three prisoners who had been serving life sentences had those sentences commuted to fixed-term sentences.
The remaining 157 beneficiaries of the royal pardon were not in detention at the time. Of these, 39 individuals were pardoned from their sentences or whatever time remained. Ten others had their sentences pardoned but were required to pay fines. Meanwhile, 100 people saw their fines annulled entirely, and eight individuals had both their prison terms and fines completely revoked.
As part of the evening’s events, King Mohammed VI chaired a religious ceremony. During the ceremony, Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, delivered a speech before the King. He outlined the activities of the Supreme Council of Ulema and local Ulema Councils over the past year, presenting a report to the King on these efforts.
Toufiq emphasized in his speech that the Ulema institution plays a key role in enabling the Imarat Al-Mouminine (the Commandery of the Faithful) to fulfill its mission of safeguarding the Islamic faith. He highlighted that over the past two decades, the institution has been focused on maintaining religious constants and overseeing the proper exercise of religious worship in Morocco.
