HIBAPRESS – Mohammed Zerouih
The Court of Appeal Chamber at the Nador Court of Appeal upheld, on September 28, the initial rulings issued against 47 detainees accused in connection with the events of attempted crossings into the occupied city of Melilla. These rulings are distributed across six different judicial groups whose cases were heard successively during various sessions of the same month.
This judicial development came according to an official statement issued by the Nador branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, dated September 28, 2026. The statement clarified that these appeal decisions were issued consecutively during sessions on September 8, 15, and 22, thereby closing the door for appeals for this batch of detainees.
The proceedings of these trials took place under exceptional circumstances, marked by the continuation of the lawyers' strike, which cast a shadow over the progress of the sessions and sparked widespread debate among human rights organizations and those interested in judicial affairs regarding fair trial guarantees.
Following the issuance of these decisions, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in Nador reiterated its condemnation of these rulings, expressing its deep concern about the outcomes of this social and human rights file. The human rights body demanded the immediate release of all detainees and the final closure of this case.
The association concluded its statement by emphasizing the need to adopt a comprehensive humanitarian and rights-based approach to address the phenomenon of migration and crossings, away from punitive approaches that burden the justice system and deepen the humanitarian crises for those involved and their families.
