The National Press Council urged, on Friday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to ensure the right of Moroccan journalists to cover the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2023) scheduled in Algeria.
In a letter to CAF president, the Council called for “ensuring the right of Moroccan journalists to travel to Algeria, with no political or diplomatic conditions, to do their job which is guaranteed by African conventions governing free speech, press freedom and human rights.”
It recalled that Algeria had banned the Moroccan journalists from covering the Mediterranean Games on June 22, 2022, and the Arab Summit on Oct. 30, 2022, two days ahead of the event. “In addition, Moroccan players were assaulted during the U17 Arab Cup,” the body said.
The Council affirmed that the CAF has the responsibility to make sure that Moroccan journalists enjoy freedom of movement and can travel directly from Morocco to Algeria. “One of your commitments towards African societies and the international public opinion is to guarantee their right to information and ensure the safety and security of journalists. These are international principles that all countries share,” it stressed.
The body deemed that the host country must respect these principles, spare the Confederation of African Football embarrassment and avoid undermining the credibility of this event. It voiced the hope that the violations perpetrated against the Moroccan journalists, and which run counter the ethics a host country should have, will not be repeated, at least during the sports event held on its territory.