A journalistic investigation reported that a number of Spanish prisoners in some correctional facilities in Morocco live in harsh conditions according to their families’ accounts, amid severe overcrowding, psychological pressure, and difficulties related to the legal procedures for their transfer to Spain.
According to the investigation published by El Correo, testimonies from the families of several detainees indicate that some prisoners are in overcrowded cells, which may contain a large number of inmates in a tight space, raising challenges regarding daily living conditions inside the prison as they express.
The same accounts add that some detainees live in difficult conditions regarding living standards within the cells, where it is reported that they sleep on the floor or use simple mattresses, in addition to the limited availability of some daily services such as bathing or hygiene conditions.
The investigation also highlighted the psychological aspect of this experience, as families talk about cases of severe psychological pressure faced by some prisoners, which in some instances have led to suicide attempts due to the lengthy detention periods and the difficult surrounding conditions, as mentioned.
On another note, the investigation points to cases suffering from difficult health conditions within the prisons, as families report that some prisoners suffer from illnesses or health complications, while they consider that the pace of administrative procedures related to their transfer to Spain is slow and complicated.
The investigation also emphasizes that several Spanish families are experiencing great pressure, due to their continuous follow-up of their children’s or relatives’ cases, moving between consular and legal institutions, in addition to what some families describe as financial costs related to lawyers and legal follow-ups.
The investigation indicates that these prisoners mainly demand the activation of the agreement concluded between Morocco and Spain in 1997, which stipulates the possibility of transferring convicted individuals between the two countries to serve their sentences in their home country. However, families believe that the implementation of this agreement faces administrative delays in some cases.
In contrast, the investigation, which relied on testimonies from prisoners’ families and information from lawyers and field follow-ups on some cases, points out that all this data remains based on those testimonies and personal accounts, without necessarily including independent official information that confirms all the details related to the conditions of detention within the correctional facilities in Morocco.
