Resignations Among “Reporters Without Borders” Due To Favoritism With Morocco

The annual classification of freedom of expression in the world for the year 2023, prepared by the French organization “Reporters Without Borders”, caused a state of astonishment and rejection among specialists and activists in the media sector, due to the lack of clarity of the standards and the favoritism of some countries at the expense of others, despite the miserable state of freedom of expression. In some countries, this has led to resignations within the ranks of this organization.
This observation was made by one of the specialized journalists who used to carry out annual investigations for “Reporters Without Borders”, which relies on them to determine the ranking of countries in terms of freedom of expression and the press. He is the well-known Moroccan journalist, Ali Lamrabet, who said in his tweet on Sunday on the platform “X” (formerly Twitter) that he will no longer carry out annual surveys for this organization.
The specialized journalist, whom the European Union used to consult on issues of freedom of expression and the press, expressed his lack of understanding of the criteria adopted by the French organization “Reporters Without Borders”, in which the Moroccan regime advanced 15 places in the global ranking, to rank 129, despite the fact that Rabat detains three. Arbitrary arrests of journalists.
The journalist Ali Lamrabet spoke about the most prominent journalists in the Alawi kingdom, namely Tawfiq Bouachrine, who is serving a 15-year sentence, and Omar Radi, who is serving a 6-year sentence, as well as Slimane Raissouni, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison. These are the sanctions that, as we know, led the European Parliament to condemn the Moroccan regime in January 2023 for suppressing freedom of expression and imprisoning journalists outside the law.
Faced with this lack of understanding, Ali Lamrabet said in his tweet: “I have decided to stop participating in the annual surveys that help control the global index of freedom of expression and press”, which would be a painful blow to the credibility of the index prepared every year by the French organization “Reporters Without Borders”.
In the “Reporters Without Borders” index, three countries from Northern Europe (Scandinavia), namely Norway, Denmark and Sweden, occupy the first three places, the Netherlands occupies the fourth place and another Northern European country, Finland, occupies the fifth place, which is undeniable. Second, because of the advanced level of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in these countries. What is interesting, however, is that the Alawite regime was given 15 places, which allowed it to reach 129th place, which is still arbitrarily imprisoning the three journalists, refusing to release them, and restricting what is written outside the walls. Prisons.
If the reason is known, it is no wonder, as the common Arab proverb says. The French organization “Reporters Without Borders” was founded in 1985 by one of the Pied Noirs, born in the city of Oran in western Algeria, and he is Robert Menard, the first secretary general of this organization. Alongside Remy Laurie, Jacques Molina and Emilian Gobineau.
Menard was known for his far-right affiliations. He ran as a candidate within the ranks of the French National Front party, led by Marine Le Pen, and his wife, Emmanuel Menard, is also a parliamentary representative for the same party.
A few months ago, last August, in his capacity as mayor of the town of Béziers in southern France, Menard deported a young Algerian man who had come to the town to marry a French woman. He refused to formalize the marriage contract, but instead arrested and deported the young man outside the law, and he is still being persecuted today. He is being prosecuted in violation of French law for this case, which was the subject of great controversy.