Kalid Naciri, pictured above, criticized reporters at two Spanish newspapers. (Credit: YouTube, "France24")

The Moroccan government criticized reporters at two Spanish newspapers, El Pais and El Mundo, for violating journalism ethics.

El Pais recently got worldwide attention because it worked with WikiLeaks under embargo to report on WikiLeaks’ “CableGate” document dump. El Pais is “the most widely circulated daily newspaper in Spain,” according to Mondo Times.  El Mundo is a daily newspaper based in Madrid.

According to Morocco Board, Morocco’s communication minister, Khalid Naciri, accused the reporters, Ana Romero and Tomas Barbulo Marcos, of being biased and not publishing comments from Moroccan authorities denying allegations published in their newspapers.

According to Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse, the reporters asked permission to go to Laayoune.  The two reporters, Ana Romero and Tomas Barbulo Marcos, went “without restrictions.”

But, Naciri claims the two reported “a spate of untruths on Laayoune’s events and deliberately refused to recognize the errors they committed in treating the situation in Gdeim Izik camp, before and after its dismantlement by Moroccan security authorities.”

Naciri also claimed that the two newspapers printed “a torrent of lies” about news in the area.

Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse reported Naciri stated:

“The denunciation by Morocco of the blatant biased positions and the serious professional mistakes by some Spanish papers against the Kingdom was clearly confirmed today by the dishonest attitude shown by two leading Spanish newspapers, El Pais and El Mundo.”

iMediaEthics wrote to Naceri’s office and will update with any response. StinkyJournalism has also written to El Pais and El Mundo asking for comment and will update with any response.

Meanwhile, two Moroccans intend to sue a Spanish news outlet, Europa Press, for allegedly reporting the two were killed near Laayoune, Agence Maghred Arabe Press reported Dec. 2.

“El Ghalia Boucharia and Abdesslam El Ansari, reported dead by Europa Press during the events of Laayoune, have decided to bring a lawsuit before the competent court in Madrid to claim redress for damage they suffered because of the publication this misinformation,” their lawyer reportedly said, accusing Europa Press of not fact checking and violating journalism ethics.