312 Foreign Journalists Reported on Earthquake, While Administrative Deportation of 2 French Nationals Follows Legal Violation, Says Govt Spokesman

No fewer than 312 foreign journalists covered the Al Haouz earthquake, and the administrative deportation of the two French nationals is a legal consequence of the violation of the law, said the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesman, Mustapha Baitas, on Thursday. “The two French nationals who were turned back did not request any authorization to report on the Al Haouz earthquake”, stressed Baitas during a press briefing at the end of the government council, adding that they had entered Morocco for tourism purposes. In this respect, the Minister indicated that it was normal for them to be subject to administrative deportation by decision of the competent authorities, which had applied the relevant legal provisions. Baitas also said that no fewer than 312 foreign journalists, representing 90 media outlets, were involved in covering the earthquake, stressing that they worked in a climate of freedom and transparency in all the affected regions. “Of this total, 78 journalists, or a quarter, were of French nationality and represented 16 media outlets, 13 of which were accredited to report on the earthquake and three of which had permanent accreditation,” explained the Minister. “Our country has shown that it is a country of transparency and freedoms, which has ensured that all journalists carry out their work in total freedom”, he concluded.