In a note sent to the newsrooms, the Bloco members consider that Amina Bouayach, president of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) of the Kingdom of Morocco, "is not a Human Rights activist" and that the award she received today in the Portuguese parliament "legitimizes the actions of the Moroccan regime and the systematic violations and oppressions of the Moroccan people and the people of Western Sahara". "For these reasons, the Parliamentary Group of the Left Bloc decided not to participate in the awarding of this prize", in a ceremony that was attended by the President of the Republic. According to the Bloc, Amina Bouayach leads "an institution created by the Moroccan government in 2011, which, unlike the Moroccan Human Rights Association, is not independent of the Moroccan authorities and has not contributed to denouncing and combating the numerous situations of flagrant violation of Human Rights in Morocco in recent years". "In 2018, 20-year prison sentences were handed down to four of the leaders of the peaceful demonstrations in the Rif. In 2022, we witnessed the massacre of migrants who tried to enter Melilla without any assumption of responsibility on the part of the governments of Spain or Morocco", indicates the BE. On the other hand, it refers to the fact that in recent years there have been "systematic violations of freedom of expression, including the forced closure of media outlets and unfair trials". "None of these violations, including the unacceptable decision to build a stadium in occupied territory as part of the 2030 World Cup, was noted or condemned by the organization chaired by Amina Bouayach", emphasize the members of the Bloc. For the Bloc, "the work developed by this organization has always been aligned with the Moroccan regime, ignoring all state measures that promote the systematic violation of Human Rights in Morocco". "The appointment of Amina Bouayach was made by King Mohamed VI himself, and Morocco is the only African country that has not ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights", the members of the Bloc also indicate. The awarding of the Council of Europe's 2023 North-South Prize took place today in the Assembly of the Republic. This year's prize was awarded to Amina Bouayach and the Global Campus of Human Rights, for their "remarkable contributions to the defense and promotion of human rights". Read Also: Moroccan activist points to women's rights as a major challenge (Portuguese version)