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Rabat – The National Syndicate of Moroccan Press (SNPM) and Reporters Without Borders condemned on Friday the Algerian authorities’ decision to deny entry to Algeria to a group of Moroccan journalists who were seeking to cover the Mediterranean Games.
“The National Syndicate of Moroccan Press condemns this reckless behavior, and considers it a violation on the freedom of journalism, and an anomalous practice with the responsibility of hosting international events,” the SNPM said in a statement.
The press release also states that Algerian authorities exhibited “antagonistic” behavior towards the Moroccan delegation.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit NGO, also voiced condemnation of the treatment.
“Moroccan journalists were turned away at the Oran Airport under the pretext of not having accreditations, when they came to cover the Mediterranean games,” the organization said on Twitter. “RSF condemns this unacceptable obstacle to the work of journalists.”
Despite Algerian authorities justifying the decision on an absence of accreditations, Moroccan news outlet Le Matin asserted that the journalists had all the necessary documents to cover the event.
The treatment of the Moroccan journalists was similarly condemned by the Moroccan Sports Press Union, who announced its “astonishment” in a communique, citing the “extremely deplorable” conditions that the journalists had to spend the night in at the airport.
Meanwhile, despite having to travel through Tunisia due to Algeria’s unilateral decision to close its airspace with Morocco in September 2021, Moroccan athletes were welcomed positively to the Mediterranean Games in Oran.
In August 2021, Algeria announced that it would be cutting all diplomatic ties with Morocco, accusing the Kingdom of “provocations and hostile practices.”
