(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, RSF expressed its concern about threatening statements by Minister of the Interior Ahmed Midaoui, against Aboubakr Jamaï, director of the weekly “Le Journal”. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the prime minister “to give an opinion on such behaviour, which is not fitting for a government […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, RSF expressed its concern about threatening statements by Minister of the Interior Ahmed Midaoui, against Aboubakr Jamaï, director of the weekly “Le Journal”. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the prime minister “to give an opinion on such behaviour, which is not fitting for a government that claims to defend press freedom.” The organisation asked him to use his influence so that the ministers of his government refrain from making such threatening statements to journalists. The organisation recalled that “since 1 January 2000, Moroccan authorities have imposed a circulation ban on eight newspapers, including ‘Le Journal'”.
According to information collected by RSF, on 4 October, during a briefing about the Moroccan position on the Western Sahara, Minister of the Interior Midaoui directly threatened Jamaï in front of other journalists. Referring to an interview published in “Le Journal” with the leader of the Polisario Front, which is fighting for the independence of the Western Sahara – this issue was banned on 15 April – the minister told the journalist: “If you publish such an interview with a member of the Polisario Front again, I will ban it again.” He also added: “Lucky for you you’re not my son or I’d have smashed your face in!”
