MOROCCO, July 14 - Moroccan police did not use bullets during the assault of migrants in front of the crossing point between Nador and Melilia, said Wednesday, the president of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Amina Bouayach, affirming that the recorded deaths were caused by mechanical asphyxiation following the stampede.

"Authorities and non-governmental associations as well as the injured migrants hospitalized have all unanimously stressed that there was no recourse to bullets and that the police used batons and tear gas," Bouayach said at a press briefing following the presentation of the preliminary report of fact-finding mission mandated by CNDH on the tragic incident at the crossing point between Nador and Melilia.

The CNDH president also noted that deaths recorded were caused by mechanical asphyxiation due to suffocation caused by the jostling and clumping of a large number of victims, in a hermetically sealed space.

The preliminary findings emphasize that the autopsy remains the only way to accurately verify the causes of death in each case, she added.

The number of people who died in this incident is 23 deaths, she pointed out, stressing that that among them, five arrived at the hospital in a state of death, while the number of injured stands at 217, including 77 among migrants and 140 among law enforcement agents.

None of those who died in the attempt to cross the fence were buried, she said, noting that the fact-finding mission ascertained the number of bodies during its visit to the morgue.

Coordinated by the president of the Regional Commission for Human Rights (CRDH) of the Eastern region, the commission in charge of the mission of collecting data, facts and information about these incidents, was composed of the president of CRDH of Souss-Massa, the director of protection and monitoring of CNDH and a doctor, member of the commission.

MAP 13 July 2022