The European Parliament “urges the Moroccan authorities to respect the freedom of the media and to ensure fair trials for imprisoned journalists”. With a resolution passed by a large majority (356 yes votes32 against and 42 abstentions) during the meeting of 19 January, the Eurochamber condemns for the first time since 1994the behavior assumed by the authorities discount against journalists and political activists in open violation of fundamental rights and the EU-Morocco Association Agreement. The amendment tabled by the Left Group, which is expressed in it, is also accepted “deep concern” for the allegations that the Rabat authorities bribed some MPs and called on the Moroccan representatives to “apply the same measures that apply to the Qatari representatives”, including blocking the access of the delegates of the two countries involved in the case.
With the resolution, MEPs call for “the immediate provisional release of Omar Radi‘, detained since July 2020 and sentenced on appeal to six years for espionage and rape, and for ‘Souleimen Raissouni and Taoufik Bouachrine‘, Director and Editor-in-Chief of the now defunct independent Arabic-language newspaper Ahbar al-Jaumwho acc Reporters Without Borders (RSF) they are “two more victims of the exploitation of sex scandals” in Morocco. The resolution also calls for the release of the leader of the Hirak the Ref“Wet ZefzafiFinalist by Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2018” sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
A definite resolution “historical” by RSF, which enthusiastically welcomed “the end of the European Parliament’s silence on Morocco” and which through the mouth of its Secretary-General Christopher Deloire, explains that “for several years we have been warning MEPs about intimidation and judicial harassment of Moroccan journalists” and have only received negative replies. However, the resolution was not approved without pressure by the Moroccan government, which criticized the European legislator and called the legislative measure ignorant of the “press freedom situation in Morocco”.
The vote – In the vote on the resolution, the no to the condemnation of Morocco stands out a large patrol of over ten Spanish socialists. The Forza Italia MP abstained. Massimiliano Salini. More controversial in the EP groups was the vote on the amendment of the left, which calls for the extension of the measures already adopted by the Eurochamber on Qatar to the representatives of Morocco. The text is adopted without the votes Fdi Ecrtheir deputies, including the Italians Carlo Fidanza, Nicola Procaccini, Sergio Berlato, Denis Nesci and Raffaele Stancanelli, chose to abstain. “Our abstention on this amendment is clearly not out of leniency,” the FDI delegation said in a statement, “of the very serious facts coming to light with the Qatargate investigation, on which we have been uncompromising since day one to have.” .
What does the decision include? – The approved text calls on the Moroccan government the release of “all journalists in prisonan end to the harassment of all journalists in the country, as well as their lawyers and families”. In addition, “Brussels strongly condemns the misuse of allegations of sexual assault to dissuade journalists from carrying out their work”. Already the working group of United Nations Arbitrary arrests concluded that the arrests of journalists from Ahbar al-Jaum They were arbitrary, stating that “Bouachrine and Raissouni were targeted for the exercise of their profession and their right to freedom of expression”. The text then goes further and calls on Rabat to put an end to the digital surveillance of journalists and activists “including through spy software”. Pegasus of the NSO group”. EU member states are then invited to “Stop exporting surveillance technology to Morocco“. But it doesn’t end there. The European Parliament “expresses its deep concern at the allegations that the Moroccan authorities have bribed some MPs”, calls for “the application of the same measures that were applied to the representatives of Qatar” and reaffirms “its commitment to thoroughly investigate and remedy.” to accomplish cases of corruption Involvement of third countries trying to gain influence in the European Parliament”.
Political pressure from Rabat – This last part in particular alarmed the Moroccan government, which tried to influence the decisions of MEPs in the days leading up to the discussion and vote on the resolution. On January 16th a delegation of politicians from Rabat In fact, he asked for urgent meetings in Brussels with MEPs from all political groups. On the same day, the leader of the Socialist Group in the Moroccan Chamber of Deputies, Abderrahim Chahidhe wrote to the leader of the S&D group, Iratxe Garcia Perez, to express regret at the resolution and to state that “while Morocco is mobilizing all the necessary means to strengthen the Morocco-EU partnership,” we are witnessing the implacability of some parliamentarians” who aim to “consolidate our bilateral damaging relationships”. Chahid explains this further in his letter the proposed resolutions, both the “verbal from Left and the written from Renew Europe show a genuine ignorance of the press freedom situation in Morocco”. “Our goal is to bring points of view together and clear up misunderstandings, especially in these times of great uncertainty and crisis,” concludes the Moroccan MP. Lahchen HaddadCo-Chair of the EU-Morocco Joint Parliamentary Committee, accuses the EU of “double standards” and that the resolution “it relates to an ongoing case before an independent judiciary in a partner country and is thus intervening in ongoing court proceedings”.