Rabat – Morocco’s parliament is set to hold a plenary session on Monday to deliberate on the best course of action to take following the EU parliament’s recent decision to condemn Morocco over its alleged suppression of press freedom.
The EU parliament issued on January 19 a resolution on the “state of journalists in Morocco,” calling on the country to address its perceived breaches in press freedom.
The resolution triggered widespread backlash, with many in Morocco lashing out at what they have described as a politically motivated, hostile campaign.
In a memo published today, the Moroccan parliament called on members of its two Chambers to attend Monday’s plenary session to discuss the best way of responding to the EU parliament’s accusations.
“The President of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, and the President of the House of Councillors, Naam Miyara, called on all elected officials to attend this plenary session, which will begin at 1:30 p.m,” the memo said.
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The news comes one day after Morocco’s National Press Council issued a statement condemning the EU resolution as a “desperate” attempt to exert pressure on Morocco for the benefit of the country’s critics.
In its statement, Morocco’s National Press Council lamented the fact that the EU resolution is based entirely on misleading reports and sweeping accusations from “biased foreign organizations.”
According to the Moroccan council, the foreign organizations sought to stain Morocco’s reputation without even bothering to “follow the progress of the trials, or listen to the people who filed charges against the three journalists.”
Earlier today, voices from inside the EU parliament condemned the body’s meddling in another sovereign nation’s judicial affairs.
Some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) spoke out against the resolution, with French politician and MEP Thierry Mariani calling the decision a “biased” and unjustified stance.
In particular, Mariani criticized the EU Parliament’s fixation on calling out perceived democratic shortcomings in Morocco while steering clear of similar comments on Algeria.
“We gather here today to condemn the practices of a country that curtails human rights and oppresses dissenting voices and participates in the destabilization of Africa … So that would mean that we are talking about Algeria,” he said.
Voices from inside the EU parliament have long accused the body of complacency towards Algeria, a major exporter of gas to Europe at a time of looming energy crisis.
