Morocco's National Human Rights Council has released a report on the situation of juvenile prisoners involved in the "Akdim Izyk" incident. The report was compiled after council teams visited prisoners at various correctional facilities. These visits took place between September 29 and October 15, 2026, and were conducted in accordance with a practical guide for managing hunger strikes in prisons. The council's teams consisted of multidisciplinary professionals who interviewed prisoners and reviewed their medical files.
The visits were prompted by the prisoners' decision to go on a hunger strike, which began on September 23, 2026. The prisoners' demands primarily concerned their transfer to correctional facilities closer to their families' places of residence. However, the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration explained that it was not possible to accommodate these requests. This was due to the facilities requested not being suitable for the prisoners' sentence lengths and being designated for other categories of prisoners.
During the visits, council teams met with prisoners and assessed their health conditions. The teams also interacted with prison medical staff and reviewed prisoners' medical files. Prisoners reported that they had been denied phone calls since the start of their hunger strike. Some prisoners, such as Hassan Zawi, stated that they refused family visits to spare their families the burden of traveling long distances.
The report highlighted the cases of several prisoners, including Ahmed Sbai, Mohamed Bashir Boutniguiza, and Hassan Zawi, who were being held at the Kenitra Central Prison. These prisoners had gone on a hunger strike and were being monitored medically. Another prisoner, Mohamed Lamine Hadi, held at the Tiflet 2 Local Prison, stated that he was not on a hunger strike and was receiving regular medical monitoring.
The council's report also noted that some prisoners had been transferred to different facilities. For example, Bashir Khadda was transferred to the Local Prison in Laayoune 2 on September 25, 2026. The report also mentioned that two prisoners, Naima Assafari and Hassan Dah, held at the Marrakech "Aoudaya" prison and the Ben Guerir Local Prison, respectively, had gone on a hunger strike and were being held in solitary confinement.
The report provided information on the health conditions of the prisoners. It noted that Mohamed Bashir Boutniguiza was the only prisoner who refused a medical examination. The other prisoners were found to be in stable health conditions, with some exhibiting minor symptoms. The report also stated that prisoners received medical monitoring as part of the management of their hunger strike.
The hunger strike was eventually ended by the prisoners. Naima Assafari announced the suspension of his hunger strike on September 30, 2026. Five other prisoners ended their hunger strike on October 14, 2026, while the last prisoner ended his strike on October 15, 2026. The council's report provides an overview of the situation of the juvenile prisoners involved in the "Akdim Izyk" incident and highlights the efforts made to address their concerns and monitor their health conditions.
Key points
- Moroccan National Human Rights Council releases report on "Akdim Izyk" juvenile prisoners
- Prisoners' demands primarily concerned transfer to facilities closer to their families
- Hunger strike was eventually ended by prisoners in early October 2026
