When the Moroccan Minister of Justice Mustafa al-Ramid vowed to try and help in securing the release of Journalist Rashid Nini, he was showing a courage that no other minister had shown in the former cabinet, which had no reaction vis-à-vis the onslaught against the press. Most importantly, the position of the minister - who distanced himself from any interference in the judicial process – almost summarizes the entire issue: on the one hand, it has political dimensions and on the other, it has turned into an issue involving public opinion. The detained journalist was not an oppositionist. He did not hide any guns and explosives in his bureau or in his mind. He was only touching on corruption in society. Perhaps his mistake was that he kept referring to reports from official bodies that exposed the squandering of public funds. It happened that, currently, corruption and tyranny are a priority in the announcement of the new cabinet's intentions. Thus, one of the cabinet's members took the initiative of opening the issue on the basis that it does have political repercussions. Nothing prevented the former cabinet from carrying out a similar initiative. However, since it failed to do so, this means one of two things: either the pressures were much too big, thus preventing the cabinet from dealing with this issue so as not to directly interfere with the judiciary; or the cabinet actually felt relieved as it got rid from the annoying writings of a turbulent journalist. Between the two possibilities, the image of the country suffered. Stymying one journalist was not sufficient to prevent several protestors in different protest movements from continuously exposing the corruption lobbies and calling on both their hidden and known symbols to step down. Thus, stifling Rashid Nini sparked uproar in the street. Beyond the political and humanitarian aspect of this issue, the deteriorating state of the Moroccan press's relationship with the authorities calls for more than an initiative. Whether the imprisoned Moroccan journalist was released or whether he was left to spend the rest of his sentence for less than three months, the main question can be asked differently: why was he arrested? And why was he tried according to the provisions of the criminal law rather than the publication law? Also, why was there keenness on prosecuting him and cornering his friends and sympathizers to the extent of suffocating him and locking him in a prison cell with no daylight […]? It is good to admit the growing role that has been played by the Moroccan press ever since the Moroccan monarch King Mohammad VI took over power, as this would help in understanding the extent that was reached by this special experience in getting nearer to the zones of obscurity and shadows. The press turned into platforms resonating with the truth - that has long been hidden - during the period that saw the end of authoritarianism and injustice. At the same time, at the end of this honeymoon, the press received blows and strikes that were dealt by opportunists and snitches. Perhaps the surprising thing is that the official discourse kept preaching about the values of openness and human rights and the consolidation of the freedom and pluralism of the press, as well as relinquishing past practices characterized with pressure and tension. But meanwhile, some actions perpetrated by this or that side keep on harming these gains that must never be relinquished under any pretext. There is no ambivalence in the situation. However, this is a power struggle that sometimes pushes for attempting at flipping the truths or sugarcoating them. But since it is impossible to cover for scandals and violations, the iron fist is taken out of its gloves. And whoever is not killed by rough hands and the scarcity of resources must turn into a mere number within the lists of the prisoners who refused to remain silent. There is nothing new in this. This is a re-invention of a servility speech with the aim of taming the mind and shrinking the space of freedom and initiative so that the press may only publish things that consolidate the culture of the authority, instead of creating effective intellectual sources within the public opinion. By passing the constitution during the last summer, Morocco planted the seed of a democratic transformation and it can no longer step back. Thus, dealing with the media issue must be different than before. The ability to listen to the street's pulse protects the democracy; and the role of the press is to translate ideas and feelings that are roaming around. The problem is that suspecting journalists does not solve any problems; but the lack of boldness in exposing the real problems does not help in solving them either. As Morocco has decided to open a serious page in its political path, it would be better for it to work based on the logic that truth is politics. The freedom of the press must be preserved since it is the closest road to all the truths.
