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Morocco needs laws to protect journalists, rights group says

May 4, 2023 at 2:23 pm

Palestinian Journalists hold banners during a protest calling for stop the Israeli violence against journalists to mark the World Press Freedom Day, in front of the headquarter United Nation “UNSCO” in Gaza City, on May 3, 2016 [Mohammed Asad / ApaImages]

Laws are needed to ensure freedom of the press, expression and publication in Morocco, the head of the Organisation for the Freedom of Media and Expression said yesterday, sounding the alarm about the challenges journalists face while completing their work in the country.

Commemorating World Press Freedom Day yesterday, Mohammed Al-Aouni said: “This day was supposed to be an opportunity to discuss and evaluate the state of the media, starting from the massive deficiency in freedom as a basis for media independence and professionalism.” He confirmed the authenticity of this by the “continued detention of journalists and bloggers, the restriction on free media work, and the monopolisation of public institutions and controls over private ones.”

His organisation, he added, has documented numerous violations and breaches of media and journalists’ freedom and digital communication freedom.

Morocco ranks 144th globally of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2023 issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yesterday.

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