King Mohammed VI pardons over 5,500 convicts, most of whom small farmers condemned in cannabis-related cases

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, commemorated by Morocco on August 20, King Mohammed VI has granted pardon to 5,516 individuals, including 4,831 people who were convicted, prosecuted, or wanted in cases related to cannabis cultivation, the Ministry of Justice announced in a statement.

The Ministry of Justice, which unveiled the list of the beneficiaries of the royal pardon, who are either detained or serving a suspended sentence, said the persons convicted or prosecuted in cases related to cannabis cultivation had met the required conditions to benefit from the free pardon.

Beyond its humanitarian aspects, this royal Solicitude will allow the beneficiaries of this pardon to integrate into the new strategy undertaken by the concerned provinces, following the establishment of the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis-Related Activities, and in the structuring impact of its activity on economic and social levels through the industrialization, processing, export of cannabis, and the import of its products for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial purposes, as well as its contribution to the development of alternative crops and non-agricultural activities, the statement said.

The list of the beneficiaries of the royal pardon includes inmates who were granted pardon over their remaining jail terms, convicts who had their prison terms reduced, and prisoners who saw their sentences commuted from life imprisonment to fixed jail terms.
Some convicts benefited from pardon over their imprisonment terms but their fines were maintained. Other convicts saw their fines canceled, while others benefited from both a pardon over their prison terms and fines.

The King usually grants free pardon to inmates and convicts on religious and national holidays.