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Journalistic and professional bodies, joined by major human rights organizations, have announced the launch of a national protest campaign against the draft law to reorganize the National Press Council. In a joint statement, they denounced the government’s unilateral decision to approve the draft and refer it to parliament without meaningfully consulting the concerned parties, calling it a violation of the constitutionally enshrined principle of self-regulation.
The signatories warned that fast-tracking the bill through parliament threatens the independence of the National Press Council, paving the way for exclusion based on narrow political and economic interests while marginalizing the role of trade and professional organizations. They cautioned that adopting the law in its current form would undermine the democratic foundations of sector governance and could have serious political, social, and professional repercussions.
They announced plans for a nationwide protest program, including sit-ins, marches, and demonstrations, details of which will be shared at an upcoming press conference. The statement praised the broad mobilization of civil society, professional bodies, and academics against the bill, underscoring a commitment to involving regional press and representative organizations across the country.
Coordination efforts will extend to direct engagement with parliamentary groups in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, as well as outreach to political parties, trade unions, human rights bodies, bar associations, and academic and media institutions. Advocacy with governance bodies will also continue to ensure diverse opinions on the draft are heard. The signatories expressed support for any protest initiative, individual or collective, that aligns with their opposition to the law.
They called for widespread participation from all stakeholders to block what they describe as an attempt to dominate and control the press sector, curtail journalists’ rights, and undermine constitutional principles of professional independence.
Signatories to the joint statement include the National Union of Moroccan Press, the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers, the National Union of Journalism, Media, and Communication under the Moroccan Labor Union, and the National Union of Media and Press affiliated with the Democratic Confederation of Labor. Human rights organizations among the signatories include the Moroccan Coalition of Human Rights Bodies, the Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, Citizenship Forum, Transparency Morocco, along with other media and civic actors active across the Kingdom.
