Associated Press reporter arrested by Moroccan authorities in El Aaiun
15/06/2007

Moroccan colonial authorities arrested Associated Press reporter, John Thorne, on Thursday, and confiscated his camera while he was covering a peaceful demonstration in the occupied city of El Aaiun, capital of Western Sahara.

Saharawi human rights organisation, ASVDH, reported that the American journalist was arrested because he was covering a demonstration in the famous Saharawi neighbourhood, Maatallah, which is considered as a Saharawi Soweto.

The journalist was taking pictures of the demonstration when the Moroccan police attacked the peaceful demonstrators and injured dozens of them, the same source indicated.

Ten Saharawi demonstrators were also arrested during the attack, and may injured were reported to be in a serious state, the ASVDH says.

Mr. John Thorne is Associated Press reporter in Rabat and used to cover the events of the Saharawi uprising in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, “and this does not suit the Moroccan authorities, especially that he always work hard to be impartial in his reports”, the Secretary General of the Union of the Saharawi Journalists and Writers, Malainin Lakhal, commented to the journalist of UPES website.

“Moroccan authorities are imposing a tight medias blackout on the occupied territories of Western Sahara, so when a honest journalist or observer succeed to break through this siege, they just go mad and try to take control of the situation the way they can, most of the time, the wrong way”, Malainin added.

The Moroccan colonial authorities has arrested for short periods, expulsed, intimidated, or hindered the work of dozens observers, delegations and international journalists, “especially from Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, even few Moroccan brave journalists and now this American young journalist”, he said.

“The Union of the Saharawi Journalists and Writers condemns this new Moroccan restriction and violation of the right to free expression and freedom of press, and we will follow this case and react according to the information we will get. But we fully support Mr. John Thorne, as a journalist and as a honest observer who was able to experience by himself the Moroccan democracy and respect of human rights”, Malainin Lakhal says.