Vish Sakthivel was a 2013-14 Next Generation Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Articles & Testimony
The Moroccan royal pardon of Spanish pedophile Daniel Galvan Vina has had a litany of political implications.
It is customary during Morocco's annual Eid al-Aarsh (Feast of the Throne), which celebrates the king's ascension to the throne, for the monarch to pardon prisoners of his choice. This year, at the request of the Spain's King Juan Carlos I, Morocco's King Mohammed VI pardoned 48 Spaniards imprisoned over the years, mostly for the sale and smuggling of hashish. One of the pardoned, however, was Daniel Galvan Vina, a pedophile accused of raping and filming 11 children, some as young as 4 years old. "DanielGate" -- as the pardon is now known in Moroccan media -- has again raised doubts about Moroccan-Spanish diplomacy in addition to those about the king's intentions for his people.
Public protests regarding administrative decisions have arisen before; however, this decision stands out: The buck stops, and starts, with the king alone, with few viable scapegoats. Starting on the first day of August, in dozens of cities around the country, thousands of protesters of all classes and religious backgrounds came together to admonish the king. Most of the protesters met with violent repression...
