Morocco Celebrates Arab Spring Anniversary
Hundreds of protestors around the country celebrated Morocco's first year anniversary of its "Arab Spring." Although there are conflicting numbers between journalist reports and security force reports, "the turnout was in sharp contrast to the tens of thousands ...
3 Years in Jail for Insult to King in Morocco
On Tuesday, the first instance of Taza court condemned Abdessamad Hidour, an activist of the February 20 movement, to 3 years of prison. Hidour was convicted for "violating the sacred values ”after being recognised in an online video (see above) by the police, showing him criticizing the King of Morocco Mohamed VI . In the video the activist accused the King of dictatorship and corruption. Hidour wanted to defend (in Arabic) himself, as no lawyers from Taza wanted to ...
MENA Governments Limiting Internet Freedoms
Across the Middle East and North Africa, countries that escaped the sweeping revolutions of the Arab Spring are becoming increasingly sensitive to speech on social media sites and have been limiting other internet mediums. Iran has begun blocking access to Gmail and other sites in an attempt to increase its control of the internet. Previously, Iranian bloggers were able to circumvent the firewalls, but that has recently changed as Iran ...
In Morocco Freedom of Speech Meets Limits Despite ‘Reforms’
Last week, an eighteen-year-old blogger, Walid Bahomane, appeared in court to face accusations of “defaming Morocco’s sacred values” for posting unflattering images and video of the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, to Facebook. The police report against Bahomane mentioned “two Facebook pages containing ...
The Tipping Point: Transitions to Democracy in the Middle East and Latin America
The Kellogg Institute for International Studies in association with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies released a report, “Transitions to Democracy and the Arab Spring: Does Latin America Hold Lessons for the Middle East,” that examines how insights from Latin America’s democratization experience may be relevant for the Middle East today. The symposium was divided into two panels: the first explored the domestic challenges to democratization in Latin America ...
A Week of Violence in the Moroccan City of Taza
Last week, in the northeastern city of Taza, local media reported clashes between demonstrators and security forces. The tensions started on January the 4th, when students organized protests to claim social and economic grievances. However, the demonstrations turned into clashes. On Wedensday, February 1st, ...
5 Self-Immolate in Morocco
1 of the 5 Moroccans who set themselves on fire last week has died from his injuries. Abdelwahab Zaydoun, who holds a master's degree in law, was confirmed dead by his wife, Amina Naddam, who said, "I saw him in the ...
Liberated Moroccan Rapper Promises Future Protest Songs
Moroccan rapper Mouad Belrhouat, whose goes by the moniker El-Haqed or "The Sullen One," has been released from a Casablanca prison after serving four months for assault, a charge which his lawyers say was a ploy to stifle the singer. ...
Deal Reached on FY2012 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
The recently-passed omnibus package for Fiscal Year 2012 includes the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. For Morocco, foreign military financing will not be appropriated until a report is submitted about steps being taken to ensure various freedoms in ...
Morocco Lays Out Human Rights Action Plan
According to Magharebia, Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) has introduced "an action plan to integrate human rights principles into the kingdom's national policy." CNDH Secretary-General Mohamed Sebbar said, "The general goal of this plan, which includes several measures concerning various aspects ...
New POMED Policy Brief: Morocco’s “New” Political Face: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
On November 25, 2011, Morocco held early parliamentary elections which witnessed the rise of an Islamic party and a boycott by the youth-led “February 20th Movement.” Political Scientist John P. Entelis, the Director of Middle East Studies at Fordham University and editor of The Journal of North African Studies, examines the significance of the results of Morocco’s parliamentary elections and the nature of Morocco’s reform process. Despite a comparatively pluralistic ...
Moroccan PM Reaffirms Western Alliances
Abdelilah Benkirane, Morocco's new PM, has stated, "There will be no change to the kingdom's long-standing alliances with Western powers." The prime minister iterated that it is "unthinkable" to reconsider Morocco's historic alliances with the West, which are based on ...
“Morocco’s New Elections: Just Like the Old Elections?”
POMED Senior Research Associate Daphne McCurdy analyzes the political landscape in Morocco through the lens of last week's parliamentary elections. McCurdy, in an article for Foreign Policy, contends that "the current path of reform initiated by the monarchy is ...
Ban Ki-moon Commends Peaceful Moroccan Elections
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended "the peaceful staging of legislative elections in Morocco," while calling for the incoming government to respond to the aspirations of all Moroccans. He lauded the conduct of the polls and encouraged the new government to ...
Moroccan Opposition Steps Up Boycott Calls for Upcoming Election
MMoroccan opposition activists have increased calls for boycotting this week's parliamentary election, stating "it will produce a corrupt assembly unwilling to implement the radical reforms they believe the country needs." "We are calling for a boycott because the constitution ...
POMED Notes: “Beyond Morocco’s Elections: Prospects for Genuine Reform?”
On Friday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and the American Islamic Congress (AIC) hosted an event entitled “Beyond Morocco’s Elections: Prospects for Genuine Reform?” to examine the Moroccan political scene surrounding Morocco’s November 25 legislative elections. The panel included Anouar Boukhars, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies at McDaniel College, Marina Ottoway, Senior Associate at the Middle East Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, ...
Calls Echo for Morocco Election Boycott
According to Al Arabiya, thousands of pro-democracy activists demonstrated in Casablanca, calling for a boycott of elections later this month. Morocco’s parliamentary elections are part of a government-initiated reform process in response to pro-democracy demonstrations, and the article says "voter turnout ...