The General Delegation for Penitentiary Administration responds to Omar Raddi’s statements: “Allegations without any basis in truth”
In a firm response to what it termed “claims and distortions,” the General Delegation for Penitentiary Administration and Reintegration issued a clarifying statement regarding remarks by journalist and former prisoner Omar Raddi, made in an interview published on YouTube, in which he spoke about his detention conditions in the local prison of Ain Sebaa 1 and Tiflet 2.
The Delegation considered in its statement that Raddi “deliberately omitted essential information,” first noting that he had requested, upon entering Ain Sebaa Prison, to reside in a solitary confinement cell, a request that was immediately granted along with all necessary health conditions to maintain his dignity.
Regarding what Raddi described as “strict supervision,” the Delegation affirmed that this is merely the application of legal procedures applicable to all prisoners, particularly in relation to phone calls and correspondence, to protect the security of the institution and the safety of its residents and staff, in accordance with the law governing prisons.
The Delegation pointed out that Raddi “falsely” accused the administration of Tiflet 2 of untrue allegations about the presence of insects in the communal room, ignoring, according to the statement, that the Delegation allocates an annual budget for the hygiene of prison facilities and regularly oversees pest control operations and the distribution of cleaning supplies, urging prisoners to keep their living areas clean.
In a related context, the Delegation stressed that it dealt flexibly with Raddi’s family’s requests, especially after his father launched a media campaign accusing the prison administration of isolating his son. Subsequently, he was transferred to a communal room at the family’s request, but he did not stay long and requested to return to solitary confinement, seeking quiet to focus on reading, according to the statement.
The Delegation disclosed that Raddi benefited from his right to exercise, attended music sessions within the educational center, and received regular medical care, either from the institution’s medical staff or through medications brought to him by his family, in addition to following a specific dietary regime as per medical prescription.
Regarding his injury from a fracture while in Tiflet 2, the statement clarified that the incident occurred during a playful “arm wrestling” match between him and another inmate, and he was immediately transferred to the hospital where he underwent surgery under specialist supervision, with the public prosecutor being informed and his family allowed to visit him in the hospital.
On another note, the Delegation stated that Raddi benefited from several oversight visits by the National Human Rights Council and its regional committee and that no formal complaints had been filed against him concerning his detention conditions. He also benefited from humanitarian gestures, notably being allowed to visit his mother during her surgery and later enabling him to have daily phone contact with her.
However, the statement expressed the institution’s regret regarding what it called Raddi’s “denial of all the humane treatment he received,” noting that he “turned against himself and against his country’s institutions,” as he viewed the royal pardon he received as a vindication of the charges against him, ignoring the substance of his case according to the statement. It also stated that his recent remarks fall within the scope of “damaging Morocco’s human rights image, without the slightest sense of responsibility.”
The statement concluded by affirming that the General Delegation “operates within the law and under the umbrella of respecting human rights,” rejecting any attempts to politicize the situation of prisoners or exploit it by parties with external agendas.
