Human Rights: Morocco Not Required to Provide Certificate of Good Conduct after EP Allegations

The Kingdom of Morocco, which has all the means to guarantee and preserve human rights, is not required to provide a certificate of good conduct in this field, said Wednesday, participants in a debate on European Parliament’s (EP) hostile, blatant and recurrent attacks against the Kingdom. The speakers at this meeting, which was attended by MPs, civil society representatives, experts and lawyers, noted that the Kingdom is not required to justify or prove its innocence, rejecting how Morocco has become the subject of bidding within the EP. The campaign waged against Morocco by a faction within the EP has led to the adoption on January 19, a non-binding resolution on respect for freedom of expression in the Kingdom, recalled House of Representatives (lower house) Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami. In this regard, he noted that this campaign continues as isolated group of MEPs receive a supporter of separatism and terrorism within the European institution, in addition to the holding of debates on spying allegations on officials from a European country. The list of accusations is long, as evidenced by the deliberate intention of the sponsors of hostile attacks against Morocco, he continued, stressing that the motives and objectives of this aggression are well known, as they target the international positioning of the Kingdom, its economic development and its place on the international and continental chessboard. Referring to the freedom of expression and opinion in Morocco, Talbi Alami said that no one can doubt that the Kingdom is a state of law and institutions, a state of institutional democracy exercised by parties and trade unions through free and fair elections, noting that Moroccan political formations are as authentic and credible as their European counterparts. This democratic life is supported by a free, plural and critical press, he argued, noting that observers, including Europeans, are aware of the uniqueness of the Moroccan model in its regional environment. This press, including that of the partisan and independent opposition, has always contributed to the construction of public opinion since independence, he said. Talbi Alami also deplored the “unfounded” judgments of some members of the European Parliament, based on misinformation and unverifiable data retrieved from a single source and one-sided reports prepared on request. This meeting, organized by the two chambers of the European Parliament, examines the basis of the methodical and misleading attacks launched by the European Parliament against the Kingdom in a systematic and presumptuous manner. It is set to discuss the instrumentalization of human rights issue, attacks against the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, and the underhand exploitation of the Pegasus case.