In April 1962 fourteen Moroccan Bahá'í men were
arrested in Nador. On 31 October 1962, after more than six months of
imprisonment, they were tried before the Criminal Court of Nador on charges of
rebellion and disorder, attacks on public security, constitution of an
association of criminals, and attacks on religious faith. On 10 December 1962
they were found guilty and sentenced. Their cases were then appealed to the
Supreme Court of Morocco, which overruled the lower court's verdict and
released the men. A world-wide campaign to publicize the plight of the Bahá'í
prisoners focused public opinion, favourable to the Bahá'ís, on the Moroccan
authorities.
(Editorial explanatory footnotes concerning a message from the
Universal House of Justice dated 17 October
1963; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)
