Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) held the Moroccan authorities morally and criminally responsible for handing over the Saudi-Australian academic, Osama Alhasani, to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, March 13, despite the deteriorating human rights situation and the failure of the judicial system in Saudi, thus putting his life, security and safety at risk.
AOHR UK pointed out that the deportation was based on a Moroccan-Saudi political agreement, in violation of the Moroccan and international law. The deportation came after over a month of arbitrary detention for Al-Hasani who was presented before a mock trial full of legal and human rights violations, which issued an unjust decision to deport him on Wednesday, March 10. His lawyers were not allowed to appeal the decision by any mean.
The Moroccan monarch and the Moroccan government, headed by Othmani, bear moral and criminal responsibility for all crimes that Alhasani was exposed to and would face after handing him over to the Saudi regime known for its intolerance of opponents.
AOHR UK stressed that the deportation of Alhasani -despite all appeals- gives a negative image of Morocco and puts it at the same deteriorating position of the Saudi regime.
The Moroccan authorities’ ill-intention in this case was evident since the first day of his arrest. Firstly, his arrest took place four days before the arrest warrant was issued. Secondly, the Moroccan authorities refused to include his Australian identity data in the case file to hinder the Australian embassy’s attempts to release him. Thirdly, continues pressures were practiced against Alhasani to agree on being deported without a trial, and finally, secretly handing him over without informing his lawyer and family.
The speedy handover of Alhasani proves the collusion of the Moroccan authorities in endangering Alhasani’s life. According to Alhasani’s lawyers, the court listed the decision on the electronic system only without announcing it in court or officially endorsing it, which hindered the ability to appeal against the decision the court deemed final.
Alhasani was arrested at the request of Riyadh on February 8, four hours after his arrival in Morocco. The Moroccan security forces assaulted him and insulted him in front of his wife, according to her testimony to the organisation.
AOHR UK denounced the continued security cooperation between the Moroccan authorities and the Saudi regime, despite increased official international reports on the involvement of the Saudi regime in committing brutal crimes such as the crime of killing Khashoggi.
AOHR UK renewed its calls to the Australian authorities to take urgent actions to save its citizen Osama Alhasani after his handover to Saudi Arabia.
