The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) declares its full solidarity with the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) and its President, Dr. Aziz Ghali, in light of the ongoing fierce attacks against them for more than two weeks.

These attacks, which included repeated calls to dissolve the AMDH, began when Ghali made statements on 13 December 2024 in an episode of the (Talks 21) podcast, which was published on the (Arabi 21) news website, in which he said that the AMDH’s position on how to resolve the Western Sahara issue is to call for “a negotiated solution that satisfies all parties and spares the region war.”

The AMDH was founded on 24 June 1979, and obtained a permit to work as a charitable organisation on 24 April 2000. Its objectives include working to preserve human dignity and respect for all human rights in their universal and comprehensive sense, protecting and promoting them, defining, disseminating and educating about human rights, monitoring violations of human rights and supporting their victims, working to have Morocco ratify all international human rights conventions, and integrate their provisions into Moroccan legislation and ensure their respect.

Since its founding, the AMDH has faced repressive campaigns, arrests and trials of a number of its members; however, its roots from its early years of work have become entrenched and its influence on local policies has expanded, especially those related to citizens’ civil and human rights. The association now includes 12,000 members distributed among the association’s branches, which number 96 local branches and 10 regional branches inside the country and four branches outside of it.  

The association has received several awards for its continued advocacy for human rights and the courage of its members. Its most prominent members include human rights defender Dr. Azizi Ghali, who was elected on 17 July 2022 as president of the AMDH for a second term, and human rights defender Khadija Ryadi, who served as president of the AMDH from April 2007 to May 2013, when she received the 2013 United Nations Award in the field of human rights. Both have been actively involved in GCHR’s regional activities.

GCHR condemns the current targeting campaign against the Moroccan Association for Human Rights and its president, prominent human rights defender Dr. Aziz Ghali, and declares its full solidarity with it and its president against all forms of targeting. The Moroccan government should celebrate the great achievements of the AMDH and its members over the years of its long journey, rather than restricting it, as it is an ideal and reliable partner in building a prosperous future for all citizens.