Justice for Ayub Madni

On August 12, Ayoub Madni, a 19 year-old young man died in Le Diamant Vert swimming pool, Fès, Morocco, because he did not receive the vital help on time.

Swimmers and witnesses reported they told lifeguards they could feel parts of a human being in the bottom of the pool, but the guards did not take it seriously.

One of Ayoub’s friends had to insist agonizingly on the guards to take action when it was too late: Ayoub had already died. This is not the first case that happened in this swimming pool. Other deadly negligence occurred in previous years. Le Diamant Vert is one of the most expensive swimming pools in Fès, overcrowded by night on Ramadan and during the uncommon heat wave of this summer. However, basic conditions of safety, such as providing enough light poles and a sufficient number of lifeguards, are not respected nor enforced. If previous youngsters’ deaths went unnoticed, let us make Ayoub’s an opportunity- however tragic and unjust- to prevent other catastrophic deaths out of the negligence of this organization.

We, the undersigned, call on the Moroccan authorities and local authorities in Fès to hold, Le Diamant Vert, accountable for their negligence.