TRIBUTE TO MR. AHMED HERZENNI, A MAN OF SINCERITY AND LOYALTY, A MAN OF HONOR, COURAGE AND VIRTUE

"Your servant says what he thinks and does what he says, does not do what he does not say and does not say what he does not think. Do not fear for him.", Mr. Ahmed Herzenni

The Moroccan National Human Rights Council (CNDH) held on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 in Rabat, a ceremony to pay tribute to Mr. Ahmed Herzenni, Chairman of the former Advisory Council on Human Rights.

Chaired by Mr. Driss El Yazami, CNDH president, this ceremony was attended by CNDH Secretary General Mr. Mohamed Essabbar, Mr. Herzenni’s relatives and friends, human rights, political, sport and civil society actors and CNDH staff.

Mr. Driss El Yazami praised the achievements of “Si Ahmed” as president of the Advisory Council on Human Rights (National Human Rights Council now) and his fingerprint on the institution. Mr. Herzenni, he said, contributes to the development of major projects including, among others, the National Plan of Action on Human Rights and Democracy, Citizenship Platform for the Promotion of Human Rights Culture and the Community Reparation Program, not to mention his prominent role as member of the Advisory Committee for the Revision of the Constitution.

Mr. El Yazami highlighted four aspects of the personality of Mr. Herzenni: “Si Ahmed, the man of courage, son of Bouhzaren in Azilal, who remained faithful to the virtues and values inherited by the people of this village ... Si Ahmed, the political activist, who led the left in critical situations, in time it was constantly in need of a wise man like him... Si Ahmed, the rationalist thinker, a man of exchange, debate and a desire to argue, a man who always seeks answers to difficult questions for the sake of democracy and progress, a man who advocates for reform and the strengthening of universal human values ... Si Ahmed, the human rights activist who believes in human rights and their universality and refuses any restrictions on them on basis of ideology, a man who advocates for human rights for all...”

For his part, the Inter-ministerial Delegate for Human Rights, Secretary General of the former Advisory Council, highlighted the role “Si Ahmed” played in the follow-up of the implementation of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations and his role in the settlement of past serious human rights violations, the Moroccan experience in the field of transitional justice, the experience of election observation...in addition to the great interest he gave to the new generation of human rights.

Mr. Herezenni’s friends praised the qualities and values of "Si Ahmed". They praised particularly his virtue, modesty, tolerance, courage, candor, rigor, kindness.... They described him as symbol of perseverance, a source of knowledge par excellence, a man of his word who prefers action to words, etc.

“Si Ahmed" was deeply moved by the testimonies of his friends. He thanked the audience, colleagues, friends and the National Council Human Rights for this initiative. True to his convictions, he stressed in a brief speech the need to promote the new generation of human rights to ensure a decent life for all citizens. It was my pride to chair the Advisory Council on Human Rights, he declared.

A symbolic gift was giving to Mr. Herzenni: a box containing more than one hundred publications published by the Council during his tenure.