Civil society says revisited press code ought to supersede

Participants to a meeting in Rabat Wednesday on "freedom of speech and press code" said the press code ought to supersede all legislation in suits filed against journalists.

The meeting staged by the national press union "SNPM" in celebration of the "World Press-Freedom Day" said the revisited press code should be the only reference in dealing with media offences and rejected all forms of censorship and prior restraint.

Journalists, lawyers and legal experts said repressive legislation could not be enforced against journalists and called for further democratization in public media management.

All participants said gains should be preserved and consolidated and invited "SNPM" to make of 2000 the year of the abrogation of article 67 of the press code which endangers press-freedom.