Moroccan king pardons more than a thousand detainees

King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Saturday pardoned more than a thousand detainees, some of whom were under arrest for taking part in protests in the troubled northern Rif region, the justice ministry announced.

The monarch pardoned a total of 1,178 people, including a number who had joined demonstrations in the northern port city of Al-Hoceima and surrounding area, the ministry said in a statement, issued shortly before King Mohammed made a televised speech to mark 18 years on the throne.

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The justice ministry said pardons were granted to those "who have not committed crimes and who are not implicated in serious acts... bearing in mind their family and humanitarian conditions."

The Rif, a predominantly Berber region where Al-Hoceima is located, has been gripped by months of unrest.