Morocco Files Complaint Against French Media Over Earthquake Coverage

The CNP denounces "breaches of ethics" and journalistic deontology, particularly following Morocco’s refusal to accept France’s offer of assistance.

The controversy was fueled by the publication, on September 15, of a cartoon in Charlie Hebdo. The drawing seemed to criticize the lack of solidarity and discourage support for Moroccan victims. For its part, Libération is accused of having relayed the testimony of a victim, under a title deemed misleading by the CNP: "Help us, we are dying in silence". The CNP noted inconsistencies between the title and the actual content of the article.

The violent earthquake, with a magnitude of 7, caused the death of nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands of others. Faced with this tragedy, Morocco has decided to decline most of the international aid offers, retaining only those from Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to assist in the rescue operations.