H.M. King Mohamed VI
Cabinet Royal
Palais Royal
Rabat
Kingdom of Morocco
Fax: (011.212.37) 76-85-15 or 76-33-59
Your Majesty:
As an independent non-partisan organization that has defended press freedom around the world for 65 years, we write to protest a troubling wave of arrests and expulsions from your country of journalists from France and Norway.
In January, French journalist, Catherine Graciet, and French photographer, Nadia Ferroukhi, were expelled when they arrived in Laayoune to meet with human rights activists seeking independence for Western Sahara. Arrested and questioned at length by your security forces, they were deported after being denied a meeting with the French Consul.
In April, Norwegian journalist, Erik Hagen, received similar treatment. He was arrested after meeting with human rights activists, questioned for several hours, accused of working with the Polisario — and expelled to Mauritania. His presence was apparently considered a provocation by your authorities.
More recently, the International Press Institute reported that journalist, Tor Dagfinn Dommersnes, and photographer, Fredrik Refvem, of the Norwegian daily, Stavanger Aftenbladet, were arrested in their rooms at the Sofitel Hotel in Rabat. They were declared declared persona non grata for allegedly breaking Moroccan law.
These incidents are apparently part of a policy of surveillance of foreign journalists, are serious and run counter to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights which proclaims, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
We strongly urge you to moderate your repressive policies regarding journalists. Rather than harshly monitoring their activities, allow them to travel freely and to do their important work as journalists without fear of harassment or intimidation.
Respectfully yours,
John Langone Norman A. Schorr
Freedom of the Press Committee
cc:
Driss Jettou
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Palais Royal-LeMechouar
Rabat
Kingdom of Morocco
Fax: (011.212.37) 76-99-95
Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of Morocco to the U.S.A.
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco
1601 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Fax: (202) 265-0161
Ambassador Mohamed Bennouna
Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco
to the United Nations
866 Second Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Fax: (212) 980-1512