Journalist Jailed in Morocco (Post 4)

Because of how dangerous certain places can be for journalists to try and do their jobs, there is a group of people called The Committee to Protect Journalists. Earlier this year they urged Moroccan authorities to drop charges that were at that time held against a Mahmoud Lhaisan. Lhaisan is a TV journalist who was arrested in front of his home after reporting on police abuse during protests following a World Cup game.

During the protests that Lhaisan was reporting on, people were beaten and arrested, as well as police officers being injured. Moroccan government did not want this to be broadcasted in the fear of causing more disturbances.

According to the article on CPJ.org, “Lhaisan was charged with protesting illegally, obstructing traffic, and attacking police officers, according to news reports.” These accusations have no proof to support them, but are what the Moroccan government felt the reporter was doing wrong.

Protest in front of the Moroccan parliament in Rabat on January 12, 2011

The article goes on to say, “Lhaisan’s family said the journalist had been arrested in retaliation for his criticism of police abuse during the demonstrations…They said that after the journalist was arrested, police surrounded their house to discourage his colleagues from expressing solidarity with him.”

The CPJ feels that journalists should not be left responsible for what happens in the news, as it is just their job to report it. This is an issue that many of the countries we have studied currently face.

Another article by the Committee to Protect Journalists focuses on the “Attacks on the Press 2010: Morocco.” The article opens by stating, “The government continued using the judiciary to settle scores with critical journalists and pressuring private advertisers to avoid probing publications, two hallmarks of its antagonistic approach to independent and opposition media. The tactics forced two leading independent weeklies to close and a critical daily newspaper to move online.”

It is a horrible place to be in, one where you can lose your job, have a company shut down, or even face imprisonment just for simply doing the job you were asked. The Committee to Protect Journalists is working towards making this world wide issue of journalists brutality and unfairness be brought to an end.

https://cpj.org/2014/07/morocco-jails-journalist-over-coverage-of-protests.php

https://cpj.org/2011/02/attacks-on-the-press-2010-morocco.php

Leave a Reply