GENEVA - Morocco is failing to undertake democratic reforms, lobby groups said Wednesday, accusing Rabat of "hypocrisy" on human rights.
Speaking in Geneva during a United Nations Human Rights' Council assessment of the northwest African country's rights record, non-governmental organisations hailed reforms in the fields of family law, the media, criminal procedures and nationality rights.
"But we have worries about the implementation of this arsenal of laws," said Youssef El Bouhairi from the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH).
"Until now, the state has not demonstrated a political will to implement these reforms," he added.
He added that it was "hypocritical" of Parliament to vote in favour of reform of the criminal code to protect the rights of detainees, while giving wide-ranging powers to the security forces as part of anti-terrorism measures.
The AMDH, along with other human rights groups, said torture is still practised in Morocco, even though the country says it conforms to international legal standards.
"Police officers and security officials are still resorting to violence," said Bouhairi.
A former political prisoner complained that his torturers were going unpunished.
"I know my torturers," said El Hassan Aharrath. "I have published their names, but they were not given up to the justice system."
Saida Drissi Amrani, the president of the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women, said she welcomed the reform of the family code, but thought "these achievements are still fragile."
Polygamy continued to be tolerated, she said, while homosexuality and changing one's religion were still penalised.
But Morocco's ambassador to the UN here Mohammed Loulichki said polygamy in his country was "an institution that was de facto in the process of falling into disuse."
"Everything takes time," he told a journalist asking about prospects of a legal ban on the practice.
On the banning of apostasy of the Islamic religion, the envoy said he was unaware of sanctions against this, but added: "It is the duty of the State to ensure that the religious feelings of the Muslim community are not offended."
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