Morocco's National Union of Press supports Al-Jazeera’s journalist Abdessamad Nasser

The National Office of the National Union of Press, Media, and Communication,  affiliated with the Moroccan Labor Union, has expressed its solidarity with Al-Jazeera’s previous journalist and TV presenter Abdessamad Nasser, after his sudden dismissal due to his refusal to delete a post he shared on his personal social media pages.

The Union Office ascertained that the journalist has not committed any professional mistakes or legal transgressions that would lead to the severe decision taken by the Qatari channel’s administration.

The union further stressed the professional integrity of Abdel-Samad Nasser who has been committed to the editorial line of the channel and contributed to its success throughout his three-decade-long media career.

The expulsion of the journalist came as a result of his taking to social media to defend the honor of Moroccan women after the Algerian state television broadcast a Saudi Hashtag against Moroccan women.  

The national union stated that the journalist has exercised a fundamental right that is enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (December 1966).

In a statement of solidarity, the union questioned the true motives behind Aljazeera’s decision stating that the channel has completely disregarded the principle of gradation in penalties, and has not taken any punitive measures against the Moroccan Journalist before.

The statement said  harsh decision was not taken in the cases of journalists who have made similar posts on their social media accounts.

 The union added that the Moroccan viewers of this channel wonder about the channel’s coverage of specific topics in the midst of a tumultuous political and diplomatic environment.

The union regarded the dismissal of one of Al-Jazeera’s important media figures as an arbitrary breach of the provisions and basic international agreements. It appealed for the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to condemn Al-Jazeera’s behavior in order to protect the journalist’s material and moral rights.