The War to Shut Newspapers in Morocco is Not Yet Over

The list of Moroccan journalists who have been taken to courts from January 2007 up to now is too long. After Driss Ksikes and Sanaa Al-Aji (from the weekly magazine Nichane), Ahmed Benchemsi (the director of Telquel), Rachid Nini (the director of the daily Almassae), Ali Anzola (of Aljarida Aloula)...etc. The new victim is Driss Chahtan the director of the independent weekly Al-Michaal.

 Driss Chahtan has found him self guilty after publishing a story titled “The Scandals of the King’s Aunts,” published in issue 191 of the weekly Arabic-speaking Almichaal, on November 27, 2008. The story shed light on some practices of “Amahzoun Family”, mainly Amina and Hafsa Amahzoun who both of them are sisters of King’s Mohammed VI mother. Those practices have been described by the newspaper as being above the law.

  The same issue ran a critical interview with Mostafa Adari, the head of the Branch Office of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in the city of Khenifra, about 150 kilometres south of Rabat.

  Mostafa Adari in his interview with the weekly Al-michaal described the practices of “Amahzoun family” as being scandalous and against the law too. In a question by Almichaal to Mostafa Adari, if the Office of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights has received any complaints from citizens who are affected by the actions of "Amahzoun family" specifically, the King’s aunts, their husbands and their sons. Mostafa Adari said: “The majority of citizens, who are contributing to the damage caused by some deviant behaviours of Amahzoun family, do not dare to speak, for a number of considerations, most notably out of fear and reprisals, especially that the Moroccan justice remains unable to do its duty to protect those citizens. Most of the complaints that we have received in this subject have not been translated into action, that is, they have not been in courts for adjudication, but they remain a kind of informal complaints which could be either written or oral. People in the city of Khenifra are afraid of being faced with “Amahzoun family”, to the extent that there is common saying here which says (the land is for Amahzoun and the sky is for God), which means that people of Khenifra, strongly, believe that no power can prevail upon the force of "Amahzoun family.

 It should be noted that in addition to journalist Driss Chahtan, Mostafa Adari is also accused in the same case because of providing statements that included charges of "defamation and insults" against "Amahzoun family", including data and information about some members of the family who take advantage of their close relation with the king, to seize property of others in the region of Khenifra. Mostafa Adari was also quoted as saying that the administration and the judiciary “are powerless” and unable to abolish the impunity enjoyed by some of the king’s relatives. He told Al-Michaal that the husband of Amina Amahzoun, one of the king’s aunts, was the head of a “criminal gang,” and that another aunt, named Hafsa, “enjoys more power than high-ranking officials.”

 The complaint, against Driss Chahtan and Mostafa Adari, was filed by a group calling itself “the Association of the Amahzoun Mouha Ou Hammou Family” established in mid-January. They are asking a financial compensation of 1 million Moroccan dirham (approximately US$124,175) and prevention Driss Chahtan, the director of Almichaal from the practice of journalism for 10 years.

  In the second trial session which took place on July 14, 2009 in the Court of First Instance (Ain Sebaâ, Casablanca), the court decided to call all the witnesses listed in the investigation of the weekly Almichaal (issue 191), as well as all calling all the officers who belong to “the Association of the Amahzoun Mouha Ou Hammou Family”, considering them accusers. However, the defence of the association still rejects the two petitioners and urged the court to consider the case without calling Amahzoun family. On the other hand, the defence of Almichaal and The Moroccan Association for Human rights insists to call the accusers (Amahzoun family). Therefore, the court decided to adjourn the session until Tuesday July 21, 2009.

  Finally, it should be noted that many Moroccan journalists describe the situation of freedom of press and expression in Morocco, at the time being, as being catastrophic. This led many newspapers on July 10, 2009 to print issues with blank editorials as a kind of protest.