Moroccan human rights organization asks for legal guarantees to press freedom

The Moroccan human rights organization (OMDH) called for reforming the press code and consolidating legal guarantees to the press freedom of speech.

In a statement made public following the ban of two Moroccan weeklies for having published an interview with the leader of the separatist movement "Polisario," the organization said regardless of the content of the two weeklies, it renews its adherence to the press freedom of speech, in accordance with article 19 of the pact on civil and political rights, ratified by Morocco.

The human rights advocacy organization expressed worries over the use of the administrative procedure to restrict the press freedom and called for consolidating legal guarantees to preserve the freedom of speech through the press.

The communication minister announced on April 15 that the prime minister has ordered that the latest issues of "Le Journal" and "Assahifa" printed in France be banned from entering Morocco in accordance with article 29 of the press code.