The Moroccan government faces protests after closing down the daily Ahkbar al-Yom for allegedly disrespecting the royal family and insulting the national flag.
Dozens of Moroccan journalists and rights activists gathered in Casablanca on Friday (October 2nd) to protest the government's closure of a newspaper accused of disrespecting the royal family and insulting the national flag.
Standing in front of the headquarters of the daily Ahkbar al-Yom, the protesters condemned what they called deteriorating press freedoms and the lack of a court order or legal grounds for the closure.
"The security forces can seize a newspaper, or prevent it from being issued, by virtue of a court order," the head of the Moroccan journalists' union, Younes Mjahed, said at the protest. "However, closing the headquarters of the newspaper ... is not supported by any legal claim. In fact, the Moroccan law of the press explicitly provides for freedom for journalists."
On September 29th, the Ministry of the Interior decided to close down the offices of Ahkbar al-Yom after its September 26th-27th edition featured a cartoon showing Prince Moulay Ismail at his wedding ceremony, with a Moroccan flag bearing a Star of David in the background.
According to a ministry statement, the closure was carried out "for having published a cartoon about the celebration by the royal family of a strictly private event". The statement condemned the cartoon's "clear lack of the respect due to a member of the royal family".
The ministry also said that "the use of the Star of David in the cartoon raises many questions on the insinuations of the people behind it and suggests flagrant anti-Semitic penchants".
The public prosecutor's office on October 1st announced plans to prosecute Ahkbar al-Yom editor-in-chief Toufik Bouaachrine and cartoonist Khalid Keddar for insulting the national flag.
The two men did not attend the Friday protest. But in an earlier press statement, they spurned the charges.
"My cartoon does not insult the national flag and has nothing to do with anti-Semitism," said Keddar. Bouaachrine said his newspaper had no intention of insulting the prince and that its coverage of the wedding had been favourable.
"The government is obliged to enforce the law where it is being broken," Minister of Communications and government spokesperson Khalid Naciri said at an October 1st press briefing. He called on journalists to fulfil their duty to report misconduct and not automatically rally in support of their colleagues even when the latter are in the wrong.
Naciri added that the government has no desire to turn the controversy into a political matter.
"[We] have no intention of limiting the freedom of the press," said the minister. "Those who believe they have been wronged have recourse to the courts."
However, Mjahed questioned the response of the administrative court to the urgent complaint about the government measures filed by the newspaper.
"The administrative court is supposed to defend citizens against the lack of moderation of the state, and against oppressive administrative decrees," said Mjahed. "What is happening is a shame that stigmatises the Moroccan judiciary."
Other observers expressed concern about the closure's implications for press freedom and democracy.
"We've previously seen harassment and obstacles placed in front of freedom of the press and expression, such as seizing publications, issuing harsh court orders and imposing astronomical fines," Reda Benshamsi, publishing manager of TelQuel magazine, told Magharebia. The manager called for vigorous protests by journalists and rights activists.
"Even if we assume something is wrong with that cartoon, the last word should be for the judiciary," said Mohamed Al Sassi of the Party of the Unified Socialist Left. "Democracy cannot exist except in the presence of multiple forums, multiple journalistic interpretations and multiple currents in the press."
By Siham Ali in Rabat and Mawassi Lahcen in Casablanca for Magharebia
© Magharebia.com 2009
