France: Sahrawi Journalists Attacked by Moroccans During March in Béziers
The Sahrawi news agency Equipe Media has vehemently condemned the assault on its reporters, Mohamed Limam Bah and Brahim Laajiel, by Moroccan individuals during the “March for Freedom” in Béziers, southern France. The event aimed to demand the release of Sahrawi political prisoners detained in Moroccan jails.
“On Tuesday in Béziers, a peaceful demonstration in support of Sahrawi political prisoners was marred by unacceptable acts,” the agency stated in a press release.
According to Equipe Media, its reporters, who were accompanying human rights defender Claude Mangin, “were targeted by hostile individuals, likely of Moroccan descent.”
The two Sahrawi journalists “faced a significant harassment campaign that included insults, threats, and a blatant attempt at online defamation.”
One assailant, it was reported, “even live-streamed Mohamed Limam Bah on social media with the clear intention of damaging his reputation and inciting hatred.”
“Equipe Media vehemently denounces these abhorrent actions,” it asserted, emphasizing that such behavior “represents a blatant violation of press freedom and an intolerable assault on the dignity and safety of journalists.”
“The malicious dissemination of images solely for the purpose of defamation is a reprehensible practice that contradicts all journalistic ethics and fundamental rights,” it stressed.
Describing the situation as “alarming,” Equipe Media demanded “an immediate investigation by French authorities to identify and bring to justice those responsible for these reprehensible acts.” It also called for “the prompt removal of defamatory videos circulating on digital platforms.”
The Sahrawi agency urged for “concrete guarantees to protect all journalists and peaceful demonstrators,” highlighting the “crucial responsibility” of social networks in moderating hateful and defamatory content.
“The freedom to report, an essential pillar of any democracy, cannot be suppressed by intimidation and disinformation,” it emphasized, reaffirming its “unwavering commitment to independent reporting.”
