Officials call out ‘orchestrated smear campaign’ after European Parliament passes resolution on journalists in Morocco

On January 19, the European Parliament passed a resolution addressing “the condition of journalists in Morocco, specifically the case of Omar Radi.”

The text was approved with 356 votes in favor, 32 votes against, and 42 abstentions. It demands that all detained journalists in Morocco be released “immediately,” citing in particular Omar Radi, who was sentenced to 6 years in prison after winning an appeal, Soulaiman Raissouni (5 years), and Taoufik Bouachrine (15 years).

Officials have spoken out against a planned “media attack based on allegations that our country is taking steps to influence European decisions, especially within the European Parliament, on topics related to the Kingdom (Moroccan Sahara, trade agreements, human rights, etc.),” according to a statement.

The journalists in question are all serving time for sexual assault charges brought against them by Moroccan civilian victims, with Radi’s case being the most recent, still undergoing judicial procedure.

According to the same source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “Morocco, like all countries, has always defended its interests in the context of its relations with its various foreign partners,” and “Morocco’s achievements are what bother some parties and provoke inappropriate and incomprehensible reactions/maneuvers.”

According to the official, the intention is to “slow down the good dynamics seen in the collaboration between Morocco and the EU. The Kingdom has previously been the target of assaults meant to undermine and delegitimize the ruling party within the European Parliament.

He added that Morocco does not accept this hostile and unjustifiable political media campaign, saying “Morocco has become a target of certain parties functioning within the European Parliament in the service of a secret purpose.”

Prior to the voting, Lahcen Haddad, the chairman of the Morocco-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, denounced the draft resolution and said its goal was to meddle with Morocco’s judicial system.

The resolution interferes with an existing judicial proceeding, which is contrary to the fundamental values of human rights and sovereignty, according to Haddad, who noted that this is “a matter still in trial before an independent judiciary of a partner country.”

Haddad recalled that “several parties have sought to have people believe, in the name of human rights, that this person (Radi) has been unjustly and arbitrarily imprisoned for his opinions, when in reality he is a detainee by virtue of common law as he is accused of rape” in a letter sent to MEPs on behalf of the Moroccan Commission members.

Haddad stated that Morocco has “since 2016 purged the press code (the law on the rights of journalists) of prison sentences for journalists and that the conditions of a fair trial were upheld, that the arrest procedures complied with the law’s provisions on criminal procedure, and that the defense requests were granted by the Judges.

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