Expulsion of Journalist Raises Questions about Press Freedom
Nejma Brahim, a journalist working for the French media outlet Mediapart, was expelled from Morocco shortly after her arrival at Ibn Battouta Airport in Tangier. This incident occurred just a day after she had traveled to the region to gather testimonies from families affected by the ongoing migration crisis at Ceuta, following her coverage of events from the Spanish side. According to Mediapart, Brahim's intention was to continue her journalistic coverage of the situation from the Moroccan perspective.
Upon her arrival, Brahim was reportedly taken by agents of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) to an office where she was interrogated regarding her reasons for being in the country. After being held in a waiting area overnight, she was returned her passport by the flight commander on a plane back to Paris the following morning. The refusal of entry document she received highlighted her nationality as "French of Algerian origin".
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) in Tangier condemned this action, arguing that it deprives the public of their right to information, particularly concerning the plight of victims of mass migrations toward Ceuta and Melilla. The NGO also criticized the action as an infringement on the right to access and disseminate information. Furthermore, Mediapart confirmed that French consular authorities were informed about the journalist's case, although they were unable to intervene to reverse the decision.
While there have been no prior reports of expulsions of foreign journalists covering the migration situation at Ceuta, Moroccan authorities had previously asked teams from the Spanish public television channel TVE and the EFE news agency to leave the city of Fnideq. This directive allegedly followed challenges faced by a Moroccan television crew from 2M at the Spanish border, where their equipment was confiscated upon entry.
As reported by yabiladi.com.
