Newspaper raided, editors harassed for wanting to write about king's mother

Reporters Without Borders is alarmed to learn that the publisher and editor of the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Ayam were arrested and questioned for wanting to do a report about the king's mother, a subject regarded as off-limits in Morocco. “Police measures of this kind result in abuses that we find very disturbing,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Political and judicial harassment of the Moroccan news media is growing steadily in intensity. We hope the authorities do not take the case against Al-Ayam any further.” Around 20 members of the National Department of Criminal Investigation (BNPJ) raided Al-Ayam's Casablanca headquarters at 6 pm on 10 February demanding to see publisher Noureddine Miftah and editor Maria Moukrim, who were both out of the office at time. After arresting Miftah at a friend's home and Moukrim at her own home, the police took them to the newspaper and made them watch while they searched the premises for photos of the king's mother. They then took Mistah and Moukrim to BNPJ headquarters and questioned them about their sources until 3 am. Moukrim was questioned again for more than four hours on the afternoon of 11 February.