Said Ait Mehdi, head of the "Al Haouz Earthquake Victims Coordination," is expected to appear before the judiciary in the city of Marrakech next Monday, after the King's Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance in the same city decided earlier this week to prosecute him while in detention and place him in the Oudaya prison. This is based on complaints against him for charges of "physical and verbal assault on an auxiliary agent while performing his duties in the population census, attacking the office of the Khalifa of the Caid of Talat N'Yaaqoub, insulting, defaming, and slandering the Governor of Al Haouz province, and inciting unauthorized demonstrations and gatherings."
The prosecution of Ait Mehdi while in detention has stirred debate among those following the issue of reconstruction in the areas affected by the Al Haouz earthquake, who have raised demands to "close the file, uphold the value of communication with those affected by this disaster, settle the situation of those who did not benefit from government support, and ensure the proper implementation of the Royal Cabinet statement of September 14, 2023."
The Civil Coalition for the Mountain interacted with the subject, confirming that "the solution is to listen and triumph for the logic of dialogue with the population of the stricken mountainous areas, not by silencing mouths," explaining in a statement on the occasion that "the current stage requires courage in facing errors and addressing the imbalances that hinder the reconstruction process and achieving justice for the victims."
Mohamed El Daich, the national coordinator of the Civil Coalition for the Mountain, who has been following the earthquake issue for 15 months, said that "the subject reaching such levels only increases tension, as it mainly concerns one of the activists and actors who were trying to convey the voice of the population affected by the September 8, 2023 earthquake to officials and ensure that everyone benefits," according to his expression.
El Daich added, in a statement to Hespress, that "what is necessary at such a stage is to prioritize the principle of dialogue and listening to those affected by the natural disaster in a number of areas where the suffering seems unconcealed, as it is still clear and cannot be denied," continuing that "the pace of work is still slow, and the victims today are living through another harsh winter."
He added: "We also note that a very small number of victims benefited from the 140,000 dirham amount stipulated in the Royal Cabinet statement of September 14, 2023, and the majority benefited from 80,000 dirhams, while others did not benefit at all," indicating that "the situation and the reality of the matter require the application of the foundations of listening and dialogue; the authorities themselves must also understand the suffering of individuals in these circumstances," emphasizing "the need not to create any manifestation of tension."
As for Montassir Ithri, one of the earthquake victims in Al Haouz province, he confirmed from his side that "the solidarity of the victims with Ait Mehdi was not surprising, as the latter remained throughout this period following the suffering of the victims and was among those who always spoke about the violations known in the reconstruction process, and about the necessity of the proper implementation of the Royal Cabinet statement dated September 14, 2023," according to his expression.
Ithri told Hespress that "silencing a specific individual will not enable the ending of this file, which seems like a snowball that grows with the passage of time, at a time when expressing opinion and protesting remains a legitimate right, especially if it is a matter of defending victims of the earthquake or those excluded from benefiting from the announced national programs."
The speaker emphasized "the principle of advocacy and continuing in various forms of advocacy, struggle, and protest in order to settle the files of the deprived and excluded victims of support, and holding accountable those involved in violations and manipulations of the fate of the affected families, with the implementation of the Royal Cabinet statement of September 2023," arguing that "the social media account of the person concerned is a witness to the scale of suffering in the tents."
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