Rabat has also criticised the European body's resolution, which will be the main topic of a plenary session of the Moroccan Parliament

El Parlamento árabe condena la “interferencia” de la Eurocámara en los asuntos de Marruecos

photo_camera REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY - Arab Parliament

The Arab Parliament has expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" with what it considered "continued flagrant interference" by the European Parliament in the internal affairs of Morocco. The House, which is made up of Arab League member states, has dismissed as "false and unfounded" the accusations of its European counterpart regarding the human rights situation in the North African Kingdom.

It also pointed out that the use of this issue was aimed at interfering in the judicial systems of Arab nations. For this reason, he demanded that the European Union "immediately stop assuming a monitoring role over the human rights situation in Arab states" and that it accurately verify the information it collects.

On the other hand, the Arab Parliament has called on Brussels to "honour" its partnership and ties with Arab countries, especially Morocco. In this regard, the Arab League House stressed that the EU should prioritise "addressing the problems of migrants, refugees and minorities within its own borders". In conclusion, the Arab Parliament urged MEPs not to politicise human rights

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The Moroccan authorities have also condemned the European resolution, as have the country's media, which described the verdict as a "hostile text against Morocco".

The Moroccan National Press Council points out that the decision adopted by the European Parliament relays "prefabricated judgments" and that it has "nothing to do" with human rights, but rather "a desperate attempt to exert diplomatic pressure on Morocco" in the service of "a geostrategic agenda in favour of Europe".

The Moroccan Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) has expressed a similar view, accusing the European Parliament of "judging Moroccan justice in a flagrant and biased manner". "The Council totally and absolutely rejects interference in the (Moroccan) judiciary and attempts to influence its decisions, especially as some of the cases are still before the courts," the body said.

In order to address this issue, the Moroccan Parliament has convened a session for Monday. As announced in a joint statement by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Speaker of the House of Councillors, "a plenary session will be held on the recent positions of the European Parliament towards our country".

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Analysts quoted by Al-Arab do not rule out a role for European political parties tainted by corruption in the Parliament in this campaign to 'divert attention'. The resolution was passed last week with 356 votes in favour, 32 against - including those of the Spanish Socialists - and 42 abstentions.

A diplomatic source tells The Arab Weekly that this decision is related to "a new campaign of harassment" and denounces that the European Parliament "has become a hostage of extremist ideologies". However, the source stresses that Morocco "does not accept to be blackmailed with such unjustified campaigns and hostile decisions by the European Parliament".

Moroccan analyst Mohamed Al-Tayyar agrees, telling the Arab media that this new resolution is part of a series of "acts of blackmail". Al-Tayyar also recalled that "Morocco has made it categorically clear, through the speech of the Moroccan monarch, King Mohammed VI, that the time for extortion is over and that any partnership, of whatever kind, must be based on respect for Morocco's sovereignty".

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The analyst also stresses that this decision was taken shortly after Rabat asked France for a clear position on Western Sahara and in the midst of new gas agreements between European countries and Algeria.

French MEP Thierry Mariani said on this last point: "The European left never condemns Algeria and the EU is waiting for its gas. On the other hand, we are discussing Morocco, which is, however, one of the axes of our strategic partnership in Africa", declared the member of Rassemblement Nationale.

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