European Parliament to Debate Morocco’s Human Rights Record Amid Corruption Scandal

The case of Omar Radi, a critical Moroccan journalist imprisoned in 2021 on charges of rape and espionage, will be discussed in the Strasbourg hemicycle. Amnesty International has denounced an unfair trial. According to the Left MEP Miguel Urban, this unusual position is due to the pressure of the social-democratic S&D and The Left political groups, who have pushed for this resolution, despite their position bent to the interests of Morocco until now. This is due, according to him, to the key role played by Morocco in the control of migratory flows, terrorism and other geostrategic aspects, writes the Belgian newspaper Le Soir.

A source within the European institution stated that the MoroccoGate scandal has paved the way for this debate on human rights in Morocco in the European Parliament, this resolution thus opening a breach in a major political taboo that existed until now, despite the press articles that have mentioned Morocco’s involvement.

This draft resolution on human rights in Morocco, according to a spokesperson for the S&D political group, was in the works for some time, but he did not give any details. He also recalled that the group has requested and supported several urgent resolutions on Morocco in recent years, citing the cases of Moroccan journalists Maati Monjib and Omar Radi, as well as the use of minors by Moroccan authorities in the migration crisis in Ceuta.

The scandal started with the arrest in Belgium of Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former trade union leader and former left-wing MEP, on suspicion of corruption as part of an investigation that is shaking the European Parliament. He is suspected of "having intervened politically with European deputies in favor of Qatar and Morocco, against payment." Investigators found 600,000 euros in cash in his Brussels apartment, and his wife and daughter are suspected of being aware of these illegal activities and even of having participated in the transport of gifts received from the Moroccan ambassador to Poland, Abderrahim Atmoun. The judicial documents indicate that Panzeri and Atmoun were "good friends" and regularly met as co-chairs of a body for exchanges between the European and Moroccan Parliaments