Morocco: government is amending press laws to offer freedom

In a discussion with the members of the Arab journalists union in Cairo yesterday, Moroccan communication minister Larbi Messari assured that his government is revising the press laws to cancel prison penalties for crimes related to publishing.

He said the committee formed by Moroccan prime minister Abd El-Rahman El-Yusefi finished two days ago revising a new draft for the press freedom law and that it will be sent to the Moroccan parliament once the cabinet approves it. He referred that the new law also reduces the current executive authority concerning newspapers and will shift this authority to the judiciary.

It is expected that the parliament will discuss another new law that allows establishing and running private radio and television stations in Morocco before the end of the current year according to commitments and controls of the private investment in the field of radio and T.V broadcasting.