Morocco's Repressive Measures Against Pro-Palestinian Voices
In recent years, Morocco has emerged as one of four Arab nations that entered into the Abraham Accords with Israel, and this alignment has been accompanied by a notable increase in the repression of pro-Palestinian activists within the country. Recently, the National Brigade of Judicial Police interrogated Jamal Barajaa, the secretary-general of the Workers’ Democratic Way Party, on May 15. This interrogation centered around a speech he delivered in August during a protest against Morocco's normalization with Israel, which took place in the city of Tangier.
The Workers’ Democratic Way Party issued a statement highlighting that the Public Prosecution deemed Barajaa’s calls to end normalization as “incitement.” In addition to Barajaa, the party's local secretary in Tangier, Hassan Mghabar, and another local board member, Sayyad Bendahman, were also summoned and questioned regarding alleged calls for the overthrow of the Moroccan political regime, commonly referred to as the Makhzen. This systematic targeting of party members has been condemned by the Workers’ Democratic Way Party, which views these actions as part of a broader “blockade and restrictions” against their organization.
In light of these events, Barajaa expressed to the local news outlet Larache that the speech for which he was interrogated was a legitimate exercise of free expression and did not constitute incitement. He criticized the Makhzen for the long-standing and systematic crackdown on his political party, reaffirming their commitment to advocating for the working class and striving for true democracy, justice, and equality.
Solidarity from Arab and African Leftist Groups
The response to the repression faced by Barajaa and his colleagues was swift, with 15 leftist parties and organizations from across Arab and African nations issuing a joint statement of solidarity on May 17. This collective denouncement characterized the targeting of the Democratic Way Party members as a continuation of the Makhzen's repressive tactics, which, according to the statement, reflects the regime's fear and confusion in the face of growing dissent against its policies of subordination, tyranny, and corruption.
The signatories of this solidarity statement included notable parties such as the Workers’ Party of Tunisia, the Mauritanian Workers’ Party, the Lebanese Communist Party, and several others from the region. The growing repression against pro-Palestinian activists in Morocco has been particularly pronounced following the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, and has intensified further in response to Israel's military actions in Gaza, resulting in numerous detentions and fines for those opposing normalization with Israel. This alarming trend raises significant concerns about the state of political freedom and civil liberties in Morocco.
As reported by peoplesdispatch.org.
