Moroccan Prison Authority Denies COVID-19 Outbreak, Emphasizes Preventive Measures

In a clarification, the DGAPR indicates that it has taken the measure of the situation by "mobilizing all its medical and paramedical staff and all its staff to preserve the health of the detainees". It declares to have made sure that "the new coronavirus is not transmitted to them", adding that it is monitoring daily "the disinfection of all penitentiary establishments to ensure general hygiene, in accordance with the preventive measures taken by Morocco to deal with the spread of this pandemic".

The DGAPR assures that it is based on the health safety of the detainees that it has suspended visits, prioritizing communication by landline. Inmates are also authorized to receive money transfers in order to meet their needs with products available in the establishments’ canteens.

The Delegation notes that any suspected case among the inmates is urgently submitted to laboratory analysis, and that no case has been recorded so far. Furthermore, it states that the author of the audio recording circulating is not an inmate and that "the publication of such allegations and lies has the sole purpose of sowing fear and psychosis, and undermining the efforts of the DGAPR and its staff".