In conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, US senators introduced a draft resolution aimed at recognizing what they described as “growing threats to freedom around the world,” pointing out Morocco’s case.
Led by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, various members of the Republican and Democratic parties supported the motion that aims to “reaffirm the vital role that a free and independent press plays in combating the growing threat of authoritarianism, misinformation, and disinformation.”
Supported by Senators Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin, Chris Coons, Jeff Merkley, and Chris Van Hollen (D) and Marco Rubio, Thom Tillis, Jerry Moran, and John Cornyn (R), the text also calls for “advancing discourse and debate to advance healthy democracies.”
The draft resolution mentions several violations of press freedom in the United States, but also in other countries such as Morocco. Its authors consider that “Morocco has experienced severe repression of freedom of expression and supporters of a free press.”
The draft, which was presented by US senators during an assembly session, spoke about journalists Omar Radi, Suleiman Raissouni, and Taoufik Bouachrine, all currently serving prison sentences for sexual assault.
The draft resolution also revisits the case of Maati Monjib, “detained in December 2020 for three months on national security and fraud charges,” and who “remains subject to restrictive bail conditions.”
The draft resolution aims, among other things, to “condemn all actions around the world that repress press freedom,” to “call for the unconditional and immediate release of all wrongfully detained journalists” and to “call on the President and Secretary of State to promote respect for and protection of press freedom worldwide.”
In a recent international Press Freedom ranking, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Morocco at 136th place globally out of 160 listed nations.
Among the criticisms attributed to the Kingdom, the RSF listed “the continuous pressure” independent journalists suffer from, and limited sources of information available to the Moroccan population.
“The main source of information for the population comes from social networks and online sites,” said Reporters Without Borders, adding that “society consumes the independent press without being ready to defend it.”
Rampant “disinformation” is also among the RSF’s main concerns for press freedom in Morocco, calling it “a reign accentuated by the promotion of a journalism of buzz and sensationalism that does not respect privacy and degrades the image of women in particular.”
Commenting on the socio-cultural context in Morocco, the ranking also highlights the difficulty of the independent press to survive and have financial stability.
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