Moroccan PM Defends Nation’s Freedom Amid Recent Social Media Arrests

A good part of Saâd Eddine El Othmani’s speech, delivered during the National Council of the Party of Justice and Development (PJD), dwelt on the recent convictions and arrests that several people have been the subject of, between late 2019 and early 2020, for messages posted on social networks, notes TelQuel.

According to El Othmani’s confidences, "Sometimes events take place and, personally, I have my opinion on the matter. I don’t wish prison on anyone, whether on human or national principle. But the judicial authority is independent and the executive power must respect that." In the opinion of the head of government, "the democratic choice of the country, with its political components and human rights, constitutes one of the fundamental constitutional constants of the country, which must be protected and deepened," reports TelQuel which notes that the Secretary General of the PJD was preaching for the occasion in an almost empty room.

Regarding the position of the PJD for the year 2019, El Othmani recalled that his party "has repeatedly expressed its refusal and condemnation of any behavior that targets the institutions of the country, its symbols and its constants." Because, according to him, these are "marginal practices, but which are reprehensible because they undermine the nation."

"I would have liked all this not to exist in our human rights journey. Civil society and human rights actors have the right to express their opinions frankly, and thank God, we are in a country of freedom and we must make sure it remains so," seems to regret the head of government. And to add that "in parallel, we must be aware of the transformation that Morocco has undergone in the field of rights and freedoms. We must help each other to overcome the events we are going through."

Finally, all things considered, the PJD secretary general thinks that, despite "sometimes recorded disturbances in the field of human rights", they are "limited and do not impact the overall situation which remains positive".