COVID-19: Nearly 5,000 individuals prosecuted for violating the health emergency law in Morocco

Since the health emergency was decreed in Morocco on March 20 to fight the Covid-19 spread, thousands of people have attempted to violate the rules, but that was without counting on the vigilance of the security services.

Thus, since the enforcement of the laws governing the quarantine period and providing for sanctions against those who violate the precautionary measures laid down by authorities, 4,835 individuals were prosecuted for having violated these provisions, of which 334 were under arrest, said the public prosecutor’s office in a statement Thursday.

 

Likewise, 263 people, including 43 under arrest, have been prosecuted for violating some provisions of the laws related to the state of health emergency.

 

The public prosecutor’s office also said that part of the fight against fake news, 81 judicial inquiries were conducted and led to the prosecution of 58 people.

 

The offenders face the penalties provided for in the pandemic-related laws, i.e. 1 to 3 months imprisonment and fines of 300 to 1,300 dirhams.

The individuals who obstruct public forces’ work in monitoring compliance with the state of emergency, those who encourage citizens not to abide by the confinement and the physical distancing or to take to the streets and to hold rallies may be prosecuted.

 

In the event of acts penalized by the Criminal Code, such as resistance to law enforcement, or breaching the confinement without the authorization delivered by authorities, harsher and more dissuasive penalties may be applied, including a sentence from 6 months to 2 years in prison.