AMARC EU reports harassment of the Moroccan journalist Ouafa Charaf

AMARC EU TEAM – Brussels, 17th June 2014. The European section of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC EU) is concerned about the safety of the journalist Ouafa Charaf in Morocco.

 Charaf is one of the people in charge of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH), and she has been harassed by the police since last April, when she was kidnapped, interrogated and beaten by the security forces. After this facts, the journalist decided to report her situation to the Court of Tangier.

 Now, only few days ago (13th June), Charaf was forced again to go to the police station of that city, where she collapsed on the floor due to a nervous breakdown according to the doctors who attended her at the Mohamed V Hospital. In this context, the AMDH have revealed in a press release that Charaf’s questioning and enquiries were always notified suddenly and by phone, without any written legal notification or offering a proper deadline.

Moreover, the President of the AMDH have been harassed too when he tried to visit and support Charaf at the hospital.

Chabaka, the non-profit organizations’ network for development and solidarity in Northern Morocco, and partner of AMARC EU in a European project, confirms that this situation is at consequence of the lack of freedom and increasing attacks and infringement of the human rights warranted by international conventions. Chabaka denounces increasing repression of all the free voices which refute the governmental statements.