Morocco's inclination for wielding terrorism accusations against journalists and news outlets who report on extremist groups has extended to Spain.
The following is a CPJ blog post written by Borja Bergareche and Jean-Paul Marthoz/CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Staff:
Morocco’s inclination for wielding terrorism accusations against journalists and news outlets who report on extremist groups has extended to Spain, where authorities are investigating El País newspaper and one of its journalists at the behest of the Moroccan government.
Spain’s public prosecutor opened an investigation into El País and former Maghreb correspondent Ignacio Cembrero following a criminal complaint filed by the Moroccan prime minister on December 20. The Moroccan government accuses the Spanish newspaper of inciting terrorism in relation to a blog post by Cembrero, published on the El País website in September 2013, which linked to a video about Morocco. The video had purportedly been posted online by the North African branch of Al-Qaeda.
Read the full story on CPJ’s site.