In a landmark move marking the 26th anniversary of his accession to the throne, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has granted royal pardon to 19,673 individuals convicted by the country’s courts, the Ministry of Justice has announced.
This year’s royal clemency, issued on the occasion of the Feast of the Throne, is unprecedented in its scope. It includes a standard judicial pardon for 2,415 convicts—among them, 2,239 prisoners who received a reduction or commutation of their sentences, and 176 individuals at liberty whose fines or custodial terms were reduced.
These decisions followed thorough evaluations by a special committee appointed by the Ministry of Justice.
However, the heart of this year’s initiative lies in its extraordinary dimension. A total of 17,258 convicts were granted exceptional pardons based on humanitarian grounds, with the stated goals of easing prison overcrowding and supporting reintegration into society.
Among the most notable aspects of this gesture is the commutation of 23 death sentences to life imprisonment, and 114 life sentences to fixed-term sentences—clear signals of the kingdom’s commitment to upholding human dignity within its justice system.
The Ministry emphasized that these measures were conducted according to “rigorous and pre-established criteria,” demonstrating what it described as the King’s “High Royal Solicitude” for detainees deemed eligible for clemency.
The overarching goal, the statement said, is to reflect the values of mercy, fairness, and social reintegration that the monarchy seeks to uphold.
This sweeping pardon not only reinforces Morocco’s tradition of linking royal justice with compassion—especially during major national celebrations—but also signals a broader effort to modernize the penitentiary system and strengthen the rehabilitative aspect of criminal justice.
With prison congestion remaining a pressing challenge, the royal initiative is expected to have a tangible impact on both the justice system and social cohesion in Morocco.
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