For the first time in more than twenty years, the Strasbourg Assembly adopted an unfavorable text in the Cherifian kingdom, criticizing the attacks on freedom of expression in the country. This vote comes just one month after the corporate corruption scandal broke out, in which Rabat is implicated.
by Frédéric Bobin and Philippe Jacqué (Brussels, European office )
This is a very short resolution on the situation of Moroccan journalists, adopted Thursday, January 19 in the European Parliament by 356 votes for, 32 against and 42 abstentions … and it is a small revolution within the institution gathered in plenary session in Strasbourg. It took “more than twenty years and a corruption scandal like” Moroccogate “so that the European Parliament could finally speak of Morocco and human rights”, sighed Miguel Urban Crespo, from the left group on Wednesday on Wednesday on Wednesday unitary, which is the initiator of this resolution.
This text of less than 500 words exhort in particular “the Moroccan authorities to respect freedom of expression and the freedom of the media, to grant to imprisoned journalists, in particular Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni and Taoufik Bouachrine, a fair trial with all The guarantees of a regular procedure “. He “firmly condemns the excessive use of allegations of sexual assault to dissuade journalists from exercising their functions” and “considers that these abuses endanger women’s rights”.
But it goes further. The text supported by the left -wing groups, an ecologist, but also by the liberalists and the sovereignists, indicates that the Strasbourg Assembly “is concerned about the allegations according to which the Moroccan authorities have tried to corrupt elected officials of the European Parliament”.
This marks a real change of foot of the European institution vis-à-vis Morocco. Over the past twenty years, European elected officials have rarely voted texts concerning one of the largest African partners in the European Union. According to the database of the European Parliament, half a dozen texts mentioned Morocco, in particular agricultural and fishing agreements between the Union and this country. But none tackled the question of human rights.
diplomats and elected Moroccans very present
This subject comes after the bursting of the corruption case in the European Parliament which led to the arrest, on December 9, 2022, of the former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri. This survey had been decided by the Belgian intelligence services after suspicion of corruption initially targeting Morocco. The investigation was then extended to Qatar, suspected of having also financed this former European elected official.
In Strasbourg, Moroccan diplomats and elected officials were also very present in the corridors of the building at the start of the session. “They come very regularly,” confirmed several sources. Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 January, four Moroccan deputies, all members of the mixed parliamentary committee Morocco-EU, met, in particular within the bar of members of the Parliament, European elected officials “to discuss questions of common interest and the Human rights situation “, as stipulated in an email – that MO12345lemonde got – sent to the various political groups, signed Lahcen Haddad, the Moroccan co -president of this commission.
You have 65.04% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.