Rabat – Morocco’s Union of Press Council released a statement on Thursday, outlining the reason behind Al Jazeera’s decision to “forcibly” and “unilaterally” dismiss Moroccan journalist Abdessamad Nacir.
The national union of Moroccan press said that it carried out an investigation about Al-Jazeera’s “hastily” taken decision, stressing that the news network’s decision was due to a tweet the journalist wrote recently in defense of Moroccan women.
The tweet came in response to allegations and a hostile campaign made by Algeria’s official media, which had “accused Morocco of trafficking its women’s honor.”
“After posting his tweet, the news director of the AlJazeera channel called him and asked him to delete the tweet. Abdessamad’s answer was a no, because the matter is part of freedom of expression on a platform that does not belong to the network,” the press release said.
In addition to the media’s news director, Al Jazeera’s general manager also reportedly approached the Moroccan journalist, summoning him to his office to request that he delete or amend his tweet.
But the Moroccan journalist stood by his position, stressing that the tweet was made in a space that “does not concern the Qatari Al Jazeera channel.”
Shortly following his meeting with the channel management, the network announced its decision to terminate their contract with Nacir.
The press release by the Moroccan press association denounced this move, describing it as “an arbitrary expulsion of a colleague who exercised his natural right to express his opinion outside the framework of the media in which he works.”
As the council denounced the arbitrary dismissal of the journalist, it noted that similar action was never taken against other journalists that “repeatedly committed multiple abuses against Morocco and its institutions.”
The statement referenced Hafid Derradji, an Algerian sports commentator working with beIN Sports.
Over the past years, Derradji has on countless occasions made hostile remarks on Morocco and its territorial integrity.
In November last year, Derradji sparked outrage and alarm when he called Moroccan women “prostitutes.”
The beIN journalist made his remarks in a series of leaked social media messages.
In response, Morocco’s Lawyers Club filed a complaint and urged beIN Sports to sack the Algerian commentator for his unacceptable “attacks on Moroccan women’s honor and the dignity of Moroccan society.”
Despite overwhelming proof linking the Algerian journalist to multiple controversies, beIN ultimately took no action against him.
The union also accused the news channel of being under the pressure and interference of a lobbying wing at the Algerian embassy in Doha.
