On behalf of the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), which is a constitutional institution that considers all issues related to defending and protecting human rights and freedoms, the Regional Human Rights Commission of the Casablanca-Settat Region (CRDH) submitted, on Monday 7 February 2022, a request for observation of the closed court hearing related to university professors accused of harassment case in Settat, a city about an hour’s drive from Casablanca, Morocco.

At the court session, held on Monday 31 January 2022, the civil party petitioned that the trial, known in the media as a “sex against grades” case, be conducted closed.

The presiding judge presented the request to the defense of the parties on Monday 7 February 2022, before proceeding to discuss the application of Article 302 of the Criminal Procedure Code and deciding the discussion of the case be confidential.

While the civil party welcomed the request, members of the defendants’ defense refused it based on the law stipulating not allowing observers to attend closed court hearings.

The Council welcomes the responsiveness of the President of the Court, Public Prosecution and the civil party to his request. The Council considers that defendant’s defense missed the opportunity to implement the Court’s jurisprudence in similar cases, which forced the Settat Court to reject the CRDH request to attend and observe this closed session.