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Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465-1004
Fax: (212) 465-9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: info@cpj.org
July 16, 2003
His Majesty King Mohammed VI
The Royal Palace
Rabat
The Kingdom of Morocco
Via Facsimile: 011-212-37-76-85-15
Your Majesty:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the
sharp erosion of press freedom in Morocco in recent months, including the
arrest and criminal prosecutions of newspaper editors and the closure of
independent publications. These actions contravene the internationally
guaranteed right to freedom of expression and continue to undermine
Morocco's standing as a country that permits open media.
Since May 2003, Moroccan authorities have detained or imprisoned five
journalists in direct response to news or opinions published in their
newspapers. Two of the journalists-editors Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed
al-Herd-remain in jail, placing Morocco in the dubious company of Tunisia as
the only countries in the Arab world that currently imprison journalists.
Lmrabet, the owner and editor of two weeklies, the French-language Demain
and its Arabic-language sister publication, Douman, was jailed on May 21
after a court in the capital, Rabat, found him guilty of "insulting the
king," "undermining the monarchy," and "challenging the territorial
integrity of the state." He was sentenced to four years (later reduce on
appeal to three years) in prison and fined 20,000 Moroccan dirhams
(US$2,000). The court also ordered the two weeklies closed.
Lmrabet's conviction stemmed from articles and cartoons published in the two
magazines, including an interview with Abdullah Zaazaa, an opponent of
Morocco's monarchy who called for the self-determination of the people of
Western Sahara; a satirical photomontage that included a photo from Your
Majesty's wedding; an article about the royal court's finances; and a
cartoon that criticized public displays of reverence to the monarchy.
Lmrabet recently staged a 50-day hunger strike to protest the legal case
against him.
Another editor, Mohammed al-Herd of the Oujda-based weekly newspaper
Al-Sharq, also remains in prison. Moroccan authorities detained al-Herd on
June 12 under Morocco's new anti-terrorism law and later charged him with
"extolling the actions that comprise terrorism." Al-Sharq editor Abdel Majid
Ben Taher and Mustapha Qashnini, editor of the Oujda-based weekly Al-Hayat
Al-Maghribiya, were also taken into custody and similarly charged but have
since been released pending the outcome of their trial. The charges against
all three men came in response to an article published in the May 5-20
edition of Al-Hayat Al-Maghribiya by an Islamist activist and was reprinted
on June 5 in Al-Sharq. In the article, the author discussed the history of
the Islamist movement in Morocco and its alleged relationship with the
country's intelligence services. If convicted, all three face between two
and six years in prison.
As further evidence of the Moroccan government's effort to crack down on the
press, CPJ is investigating a Rabat court's decision last week to hand down
a one-year suspended prison sentence to Mustafa Alaoui, editor of the weekly
Al-Ousboua and to ban the publication for three months. According to CPJ
sources, Alaoui was detained on June 5 under the anti-terrorism law for
publishing a communiqué issued by an Islamist group that claimed
responsibility for some of the multiple suicide bombings in Casablanca onMay 16.
These arrests and this censorship constitute flagrant violations of
internationally accepted norms for press freedom. While we recognize the
concerns of the Moroccan government in the wake of the May terrorist attacks
in Casablanca, we believe that restricting media discourse denies the public
of valuable news and information it needs to make informed decisions and
will therefore create more instability.
In the past, Your Majesty has described yourself as a "friend and admirer"
of the press. Last year, when noting the accomplishments of your reign, you
said that you had "guaranteed the right to information [in Morocco] through
the consolidation of the freedom of the press."
The recent restrictions imposed on Moroccan media provide the perfect moment
to demonstrate your commitment to these ideals. As an independent
organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide,
CPJ calls on Your Majesty to adopt the following recommendations aimed at
bringing Morocco's practices in line with international standards for a free
press:
* Publicly reiterate your support to the right of journalists
to report news and opinion without state reprisal and deplore the mprisonment of journalists for carrying out their professional duties;
* Take all measures within your power to ensure the immediate
release of Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed al-Herd and that all state criminal
prosecutions of journalists stemming from the publication of news and
opinion are dismissed; and
* End state censorship of newspapers and other publications
and see to it that banned newspapers are allowed to resume publishingwithout further hindrance.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters.
Sincerely,
<<...OLE_Obj...>>
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
CC:
His Excellency Driss Jettou
His Excellency Aziz Mekouar
The Honorable Margaret D. Tutwiler
American Society of Newspaper Editors
Amnesty International
Article 19 (United Kingdom)
Artikel 19 (The Netherlands)
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Freedom Forum
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
Index on Censorship
International Center for Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
International PEN
International Press Institute
Lorne W. Craner, United States Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights, and Labor
The Newspaper Guild
The North American Broadcasters Association
Overseas Press Club
Reporters Sans Frontières
Sergio Vieira de Mello, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Society of Professional Journalists
World Association of Newspapers
World Press Freedom Committee
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Hani Sabra
Researcher
Middle East and North Africa
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue
12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: (212) 465-1004, x-104
Fax: (212) 465-9568
Web: www.cpj.org
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