The Maersk Denver is part of the Maersk fleet that is implicated in shipping US military supplies to Israel and is therefore reasonably suspected* of carrying illegal military cargo destined to Israel.
This is in violation of a UNHRC resolution, a UNGA resolution, and statements by dozens of UN human rights experts, all calling for a military embargo on Israel due to its illegal occupation and its commission of a plausible genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, as the ICJ determined earlier this year.
This reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing has led the Spanish government to deny the Maersk Denver a port of call in Algeciras two days ago.
If the Moroccan authorities allow the Maersk Denver to dock in any Moroccan port, and as UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese had warned several governments in Europe and Africa, Morocco may be violating the Genocide Convention and relevant ICJ rulings.
On November 4, Morocco was among more than 50 states that signed a letter to the UN Secretary General, demanding “immediate steps to be taken to halt the provision of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel, the occupying Power.” The letter affirmed that “Decisive actions are urgently needed to stop this dangerous trajectory, to end impunity and ensure accountability for all violations, in line with obligations under international law.”
Based on all the above, Palestinian civil society as represented in the BDS movement calls on lawyers, civil society leaders, legal organizations and Palestine solidarity groups in Morocco and everywhere to pressure the Moroccan authorities to comply with its obligations under international law, particularly the Genocide Convention, by:
- Denying port of call to the Maersk Denver on suspicion of carrying illegal military cargo to Israel during its ongoing genocide and illegal occupation and due to it being part of the Maersk fleet carrying military supplies to Israel.
- Investigating the Maersk Denver and its current cargo, disclosing the results of the investigation to the public, and taking all measures available to ensure any military supplies or dual-use items destined to Israel do not reach their destination.
- Adopting a clear policy that commits Morocco to respecting international law, and particularly the Genocide Convention, by refraining from giving a port of call to any ship suspected of aiding or enabling Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza or its illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
* Source: Palestinian Youth Movement, 'Evidence of Maersk Shipments to Israeli Military'