The Ministry said in statement that some Spanish media attempted in a biased and dishonest manner to link the statements of the Foreign Minister on the treatment by the Spanish press regarding the artificial Sahara issue to the developments of the situation in the southern provinces, on the one hand, and to the injuries which two journalists are said to have suffered during the hearing.

    What happened was a heated exchange and altercations between citizens defending the territorial integrity and separatists, the same source said.

     The Ministry made it clear that the two journalists violated the judicial and administrative procedures in force, adding that the envoy of radio "Cadena Ser” does not have legal accreditation to carry out his job in Morocco, while the Correspondent of the Spanish TV channel “TVE” did not obtain an authorization to film, which is granted to foreign channels by the Moroccan Cinematographic center following a written authorization by the Communication Ministry.

    This case is a “blatant violation of the Moroccan law by the Spanish journalists”, underlined the Ministry, affirming its great concern to facilitate the job of correspondents and foreign media envoys in Morocco, including through coordination with competent authorities to secure their physical integrity.

    The intervention of security services allowed for containing the situation and avoiding escalation, added the statement.

    The altercations were triggered by the tensions and provocations systematically caused by the separatist elements who insist on involving foreign journalists, the same source said.

    In this respect, the Ministry expressed its refusal of the attempts by some parties to use this accidental incident to spread false information on Morocco’s treatment of foreign media.

     This treatment was always based on the respect of the rules of polite society and the primacy of law, underlined the release, deploring the attempts by some parties to change the reality and undermine the image of Morocco as a country of openness, emancipation and freedom of speech and expression, which is evidenced by the large number of foreign and Arab publications distributed freely in the Kingdom, in addition to the accreditation by the Ministry of over 120 foreign journalists from different nationalities and the delivering of some 800 filming authorization annually to foreign media outlets ( channels, press agencies, production firms…).

    While remaining attached to protecting the freedom of the press, the Ministry called on the correspondents accredited in Morocco to comply with the judicial and organizational rules in force, following the example of all civilized countries