Spanish consulate denies Moroccan artist entry visa
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 3/26/1999

Spain's consulate in the northern Moroccan town of Tetuan has denied Moroccan painter Mustapha Ben Alahmar an entry visa to go to Spain where he was invited by an association of Moroccan emigrants to take part in a cultural event.

The Moroccan artist, whose documents were seized by the Spanish consulate deplored, in a statement, the "unjustified" refusal, especially as "his application for an entry visa was part of his contribution to promoting Moroccan-Spanish cultural exchange in his capacity as a painter and an intellectual who believes in the need to consolidate tolerance and the prominence of human values."

The artist is one of the contributors to a magazine published in Arabic and Spanish and a member of the Friends of Lorca (a renowned Spanish writer). "Do Spanish consular services have the right to abort projects carried out by partners of the two countries? Do they consider all Moroccans as economic immigrants?" he wondered in his statement.

"The Defensor of the People," the Spanish ombudsman, had started last February an investigation into difficulties encountered by a Moroccan traditional music band when it applied for a visa to perform in Spain.

Previous Stories:
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  Andalucia parliament speaker in Morocco   (3/13/1999)
  Moroccan and Spanish chambers of commerce sign cooperation convention   (3/5/1999)

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