Despite serious and persisting human rights problems - mainly in the Rif and Western Sahara - the European Parliament has not adopted an urgency on Morocco for over 20 years. Proposals for resolutions and debates among others by @GreensEFA were systematically rejected. (1/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958857255813122
This week, we will finally debate and adopt a resolution about the human rights situation in Morocco, in particular for journalists and the case of Omar Radi.
Critical journalists in Morocco are subject to spying, arbitrary detention and face unfair trials. (2/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958859084349440
The recent corruption scandal in the European Parliament shed a light on the malign influence that the Moroccan authorities have successfully exerted on MEPs with influential positions, which is very likely the cause of the EPs inaction. (3/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958862427103234
This is part of a broader strategy of aggressive foreign policy from the Moroccan government to cover up the domestic human rights situation. The authorities blackmail EU countries by instrumentalizing migrants and refugees in order to silence critics.
Some recent examples: (4/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958865308590081
In 2018, the Dutch government criticised the high sentences of Riffian protesters, after which Morocco refused any cooperation in the return of rejected asylum seekers, a priority for the Dutch government. (5/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958869037424642
In 2021, Morocco pressured Spain because of its position on the independence of the Western Sahara, by allowing thousands of migrants to cross into Spanish enclaves Ceuta and Mellila. Successfully, because the government changed its position. (7/8)
https://tinyurl.com/37k4rjyj
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958876100825090
I'm glad that the EP is finally able to give the human rights situation in Morocco the attention it deserves. EU Institutions and Member States should uphold universal human rights around the world. We cannot allow ourselves to be blackmailed into silence by foreign regimes.(8/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958879695331329
Sadly, the Dutch government fell for this blackmail. A joint action plan between both governments was negotiated, in which NL declared 'not to meddle in internal affairs' of Morocco.
Returns were resumed afterwards. (6/8)
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Tineke_Strik/status/1614958872640491522