Morocco Rejects RSF Accusations on Press Freedom Violations in Rif Region

Morocco rejected the accusations by Reporters without Borders (RSF) on press freedom in the Rif region, saying that allegations concerning obstacles to reporters are “biased, unfounded and lacking in credibility and proof.”

This came in a statement by the Culture and Communication Ministry in charge of accrediting national and international reporters in the country after the RSF issued a scathing statement accusing the authorities in the North African country of preventing journalists from covering events in the Rif, particularly in the city of Al-Hoceima.

The Ministry underscored that all accredited media carry out their reporting tasks unhindered and that 89 foreign media correspondents accredited in Morocco hold “all the permits necessary to carry out their work under normal conditions across the country”.

The Ministry also made it clear that it has not “influenced the coverage” of any foreign or local journalist.

It recalled that visits to the city of AL Hoceima and its surroundings were organized to the benefit of foreign journalists, who freely conducted their news coverage.

The Ministry noted, however, that only one journalist was tried according to the law in force on charges of inciting the public to take part in a banned march.

Tension has been simmering in Al Hoceima since the death of Mouhcine Fikri who was crushed to death in a garbage compactor while attempting to retrieve fish that the police had confiscated and thrown away.

Since this tragic death that occurred in October 2016, protests have been building up in the city initially to claim justice for Mouhcine Fikri. However, the protests have increasingly become focused on addressing the various economic, social, and administrative challenges the Rif region faces.