Former political prisoner and prominent Moroccan diplomat Jamal Benomar has denied writing an open letter circulating on several Moroccan websites under his name, describing it as fabricated.
In a Facebook post, Benomar said the letter, addressed to former parliamentarian and former police official Mahmoud Archane, was falsely attributed to him. He stressed that he had neither written nor published it.
The letter circulated widely under the title “A Letter to the Torturer… To the Student of Kadour El Yousfi Now Sitting in Parliament”. It addressed alleged human rights violations and torture during the 1970s at Derb Moulay Cherif detention centre in Casablanca.
Letter Referred to Benomar’s Arrest and Imprisonment
The text attributed to Benomar recalled his arrest in Tetouan in 1976, when he was 18, over his political activities. It also described alleged torture suffered by him and his companions at the hands of former senior security official Kadour El Yousfi and his aides.
According to the circulated letter, Benomar was later sentenced to 10 years in prison. The text also referred to disclosures he reportedly made before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva in 1995, naming officials allegedly involved in abuses.
The letter questioned how individuals associated with former security institutions had gone on to enter Parliament. It also called for justice for victims, accountability and political reform to prevent abuses from recurring.
However, Benomar has categorically denied any involvement in writing or publishing the text. His statement makes clear that the letter should not be treated as an authentic statement from him.
- Source: 24 Saa