Moroccan youth organised protests through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, just like activists across the Arab world. But are their aims the same? Jillian C York reports
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Journalist Guillaume Bontoux, working for the Spanish Radio Exterior, has landed in Gran Canaria last night after having been detained and interrogated by the police in Laayoune, West Sahara, for several hours. The journalist asserted to have received a better treatment because of his French nationality.
Moroccan authorities have recently issued a ban on foreign journalists who wish to fly to Laayoune, where violent clashes between Moroccan security forces and Sahrawi protesters are taking place. The intensity of the conflict is reportedly very high: Spanish activists hidden in the city speak about genocide.
Moroccan newspaper Al-Michaal was banned on 13 November after editor in chief Driss Chahtan was sentenced to one year in prison and a 10,000 dirham fine as punishment for his articles about the health of King Mohamed VI. Two other journalists on the paper, Rasheed Mahameed and Mostafa Hiran, were sentenced to three months in prison and fines of 5000 dirham for writing similar articles.
The Moroccan government is suing daily newspaper Akhbar Al Youm after it published a cartoon of Prince Moulay Ismail. The government said the cartoon showed “blatant disrespect” to the royal family.
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