Moroccan Official Assaults Public TV Journalists During Lockdown Report

The journalist Souad Wassef of the reporting team, physically assaulted, was insulted and slapped twice by the caïd, who was supposed to protect them during the coverage of a commercial activity in the city, during this period of confinement. Her colleague cameraman, Mohamed Bouljihal, was injured as the caïd tried to snatch the camera from him.

The two public journalists had gone to the field in full compliance with the legal procedures in force during the state of health emergency.

Once the incident occurred, a vast movement of solidarity was immediately triggered. According to a spokesman for the SNRT journalists’ union, the caïd in question, who was behind the incident, was in a hysterical state for "personal reasons". "We don’t understand the attitude of this authority agent who, instead of helping the journalists, repressed and humiliated them".

In addition, the SNPM journalists’ union and the "International Union of Moroccan Journalists & Competences" published a joint protest statement on Wednesday. They denounced "the abuse of power and physical violence" of the caïd of Tifelt.