MOROCCO: IS THE GOVERNMENT STRANGLING THE PRESS?

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000398 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PI, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2011 TAGS: KDEM KPAO PGOV PHUM PREL PBTS MO SUBJECT: MOROCCO: IS THE GOVERNMENT STRANGLING THE PRESS? REF: A. 05 RABAT 01345 ¶B. 05 RABAT 01378 ¶C. 05 RABAT 01732 ¶D. 05 CASABLANCA 01329 ¶E. CASABLANCA 00230 ¶F. CASABLANCA 00346 Classified By: Pol/C Timothy Lenderking, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Freedom of the press continues to be a significant political and human rights issue in Morocco, and the mission continues to discuss the issue with the GOM at high levels, and to raise concerns as we see them. The GOM's latest tack appears to be one of levying heavy fines on offending periodicals -- rather than jailing journalists -- which is tantamount to driving them out of business. On the positive side, there continues to be incremental improvement in the ability of many journalists to test the traditional journalistic redlines in Morocco; a spate of articles over the last year questioning Morocco's diplomacy on the Western Sahara and decisions the King has made attest to an improved climate overall. The fact that JCO leader Nadia Yassine, who in 2005 called the monarchy inappropriate for Morocco, remains at liberty to speak, despite possible charges against her, is significant in regard to freedom of expression. Journalists themselves generally tell us they enjoy a greater level of liberty than they did five years ago. The GOM also released from prison at the end of 2005 the last of two incarcerated journalists. Finally, Adala, a newly formed and MEPI-funded Moroccan NGO which aims to promote judicial reform and transparency with assistance from the American Bar Association, will be assessing the libel and defamation cases brought against the newspapers discussed in this cable. ¶2. (C) There are, nevertheless, blights on the Moroccan record that call into question the consistency and durability of the greater freedoms that journalists generally enjoy. There are presently four publications -- two French-language and two Arabic-language -- under duress: TelQuel, Le Journal Hebdomadaire, Al-Mishal and Al-Ayam. While the cases against the publications vary, what does not is the freedom of the publications to express viewpoints. Without freedom of the press being valued within the formal governmental structures and within the informal societal structures, Morocco's reform record and progress toward greater democratization, not to mention its ability to maintain eligibility for the much-coveted Millennium Challenge Account, will be hampered. ¶3. (U) What follows is a summary of each of the four journals currently under attack from the GOM. As noted reftels E and F, editors of two of the journals have spoken recently to Missionoffs about their plight. -------------- TelQuel -------------- ¶4. (U) Ahmed Benchemsi, the Director of the Moroccan independent French-language weekly magazine, TelQuel, and Karim Boukhari, the author of an article which libeled a female parliamentarian, (reftels C, D) were sentenced to two months in jail and the magazine was fined the equivalent of USD 100,000 in August 2005. On December 29, 2005, the fine was reduced to the equivalent of USD 80,000. ¶5. (U) In a separate case, TelQuel, along with three other newspapers -- Al-Ahdath Al-Maghribiya, Al-Ayam and Al Ousbouiya al-Jadida -- was falsely accused Touria Bouabid of embezzlement of her NGO's funds. The claims were based on police records. All four papers printed retractions once the accusation was proven to be false; however, the courts assessed damages of USD 90,000 against TelQuel October 25, ¶2005. On February 15, the courts reduced the damages to USD 50,000. TelQuel will appeal the decision. Reporters without Borders said: "It is now clear that the Moroccan courts want to strangle TelQuel financially, as it was already ordered to pay an equally disproportionate fine a little more than a month ago." -------------- Le Journal Hebdomadaire -------------- ¶6. (U) On December 26, 2005, Boubker Jamai, editor of Le Journal Hebdomadaire, was summoned by the police in Casablanca. Le Journal republished a headline that had originally appeared on the front cover of the Arabic weekly, Al-Bidaoui, which was banned. The headline was "Morocco, the (expletive deleted) country." ¶7. (U) In the February 11 edition, Le Journal carried a photo of someone reading France-Soir with the twelve Danish cartoons which have been identified by many as defaming to Mohammed and Islam. Le Journal obliterated the minuscule cartoons prior to the dissemination of the edition. Notwithstanding, the TV channel 2M castigated Le Journal on February 13 by saying "this newspaper is known for clashing with public opinion by taking up stances contrary to the sacred values of our country." Demonstrations occurred on February 14 outside of Le Journal's Casablanca offices (reftel E). ¶8. (U) On February 16, Jamai and Fahd Iraqi, another editor, were fined USD 305,000 in a Rabat civil court for defamation against the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Centre (ESISC). Le Journal had published a study questioning the objectivity of a report published by ESISC on the Polisario. Both Jamai and Iraqi had already been fined USD 5,000 in a criminal court. ¶9. (U) On February 21, Jamai held a press conference to discuss the two cases. Approximately sixty people attended the press conference at the Moroccan Press Union's headquarters in Rabat. One of the journalists present noted that members of the union did not attend the conference. Jamai said that the situation with Le Journal was "grave" and amounts to "judicial terrorism." He also stated bluntly that he did not view the monarchy as a sacred institution. When asked whether he would write an apology for the articles, Jamai said he would not. Regarding the autonomy of the Western Sahara, which had been discussed in the article on ESISC, Jamai linked autonomy with democracy in Morocco, i.e., there cannot be an autonomy plan without democracy. ¶10. (C) During the press conference, Jamai was questioned about a photograph of the King. Jamai's only comment was that he had not wanted the photograph associated with an article because it would detract from the article, i.e., the photograph would become a topic of discussion. At no point during the press conference, did Jamai indicate that he thought the King himself was behind the attacks on Le Journal. Jamai apparently expected, according to several sources, to play an advisory role to King Mohammed VI, perhaps as press advisor, and this has not come to fruition. -------------- Al-Ayam -------------- ¶11. (U) Noureddine Miftah, the director of the Arabic-language Al-Ayam, published an article entitled "The Secrets of Monarchy Females (i.e., harams) During the Reign SIPDIS of Three Kings," written by Maria Moukrim. The article discussed corruption and private lives of the royals during the reigns of Mohammed V and Hassan II. Permission for such an article was not received from royal protocol prior to publishing. Miftah and Moukrim were fined USD 10,000. -------------- Al-Mishal -------------- ¶12. (U) In mid-December 2005, Driss Chaatan, the director of Al-Mishal, an Arabic-language weekly, was summoned by the Casablanca police for publishing photos and articles on the royal family without prior permission from royal protocol. The trial will be April 4. -------------- Comments -------------- ¶13. (C) These cases and situations have a common thread: all topics are not available to publications and journalists at all times. TelQuel and Le Journal are coming under direct GOM scrutiny and pressure is being applied whenever it is possible to do so. The two cases against the Arabic-language publications are distressing but have not resulted in the unusually high fines levied against the two French-language publications. There seems to be little logic behind the level of the fines -- certainly, one would think that defaming the royal family, as in the Al-Ayam case, would generate a heavier fine than defaming a NGO leader. ¶14. (C) Traditional redlines for the Moroccan press are the royal family, Islam and "territorial integrity," i.e., Morocco's claims to the Western Sahara. Le Journal's critique of the ESISC's report as mouthing the GOM's stance vis-a-vis the Western Sahara is a clear sign that this remains an especially sensitive area. ¶15. (C) One hopeful sign is that Adala will be investigating the cases. Judicial independence and transparency are especially challenged when the three taboo subjects are involved. The GOM does not yet fully grasp that freedom of expression allows for many different points of view on any subject to be discussed openly. ¶16. (C) Another hopeful sign is the release of Anas Tadili on January 29. Tadili was the last imprisoned journalist about whom the Mission was aware. Tadili, the director of Akhbar al-Ousbouaa, an Arabic-language newspaper, was imprisoned on September 29, 2004 for libeling a minister. On April 9, 2004, the newspaper accused the Minister of Finance of homosexuality. Reporters without Borders reported that pressure was put on the Ministry of Justice to convict Tadili. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley