By Chris King • Updated: 23 Jan 2023 • 20:52
Image of Rachid Talbi Alami. Credit: Wikipedia - By Flavormint - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123528808
In a statement read today, Monday, January 23, at the end of a joint session of the two chambers of the Moroccan Parliament, Rachid Talbi Alami, announced that the Moroccan Parliament had decided to review its relations with the European Parliament (EP).
This was a direct result of a resolution approved by the European body on January 19, which urged the North African country to respect freedom of expression and to release imprisoned critical journalists. Morocco’s parliament denounced that this resolution was ‘blackmail, and considered it ‘a discourse of colonial superiority’.
“The Moroccan Parliament decides from today to review its relations with the European Parliament and submit them to a comprehensive evaluation in order to make appropriate and firm decisions”, read the statement, which will be communicated to the EP presidency.
Today’s declaration described the resolution of the European Parliament as ‘unacceptable’ and affirmed that it ‘destroys the relationship of trust’ between the two parliamentary institutions.
This decision by the EP was considered “an unacceptable usurpation of the independence of the judicial institutions” of the Maghreb country. It also expressed its “absolute rejection of the tendencies of guardianship of any party, regardless of the level of relations it maintains with Morocco”.
The Moroccan Parliament insisted on the country’s adherence to human rights “as they are internationally recognised”, and recalled its role as guarantor of rights and freedoms and the ways to exercise them and its action to control the action of the Government and public politics.
At the same time, it rejected “the political use of cases that are common law”, in reference to the cases of journalists Omar Radi, Suleiman Raisuni, and Taoufik Bouachrin. They have been sentenced respectively to six, five, and 15 years in prison for sexual crimes and espionage, from which the EP demanded their release, as reported by elespanol.com.
As the statement stressed: “The Moroccan Parliament calls on the European political forces to show wisdom and sobriety and reject the deliberate confusion between the human rights protected in Morocco by the Constitution, the laws and the institutions on the one hand, and the denunciations lacking in credibility promoted by some parties and organisations known for their hostile positions against Morocco, on the other hand”.
Last Thursday’s EU resolution – which went ahead by 356 votes in favour, 32 against, and 42 abstentions – also recommends restricting the access of Moroccan representatives to the institution’s headquarters. This was suggested while the investigation continues into the corruption scandal in which Morocco is allegedly involved, along with Qatar and Mauritania.
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Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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