A shocking level of brutality and degradation of Morocco’s Makhzen: Dounia, Adnane Filali reveal!

BY: Hana Saada

ALGIERS- Dounia and Adnane Filali, two prominent activists in Morocco, have voiced their criticism of the precarious living conditions for citizens of the country. They have been outspoken about the lack of opportunities and low wages for young people in Morocco. They also highlighted the high cost of living, particularly for those living in rural areas, and the lack of adequate social services to support citizens, adding that 40% of Moroccans live in dire poverty, with some facing unemployment and a lack of basic necessities like food and shelter. Meanwhile, King Mohamed VI is estimated to have a net worth of $2.1 billion, making him one of the wealthiest monarchs in the world. This stark contrast between the luxurious lifestyle of the king and the dire living conditions of many Moroccans has led the couple to leave the country.

In the same wake, they denounced prostitution and children’s exploitation as major phenomena in Morocco, with women and children being forced into the trade due to factors such as poverty, limited economic opportunities, and a lack of education. Many women in the country are unable to access formal employment and thus resort to prostitution as a means of survival. Children, including those who are orphaned or abandoned, are also victims of sexual exploitation, with some being sold into prostitution by their parents.

Also, among the reasons behind their departure are the persecution and harassment they face from the Moroccan regime. Adnane and Dounia Filali are journalists and human rights activists who uncovered evidence of corruption, abuse of power within the Moroccan government, and Zionist penetration into the country. They have been targeted by the Moroccan Makhzen for their outspoken views.

In an interview with the Algerian private channel Ennahar TV, the couple explained that the king’s lifestyle and long-time absence stand in stark contrast to the reality of many Moroccans’ daily lives, and this has led to growing frustration and anger, adding that “the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, spends most of his time in France and Gabon, where he owns luxurious palaces and buildings, enjoying his late adolescence, while the Moroccan people are ‘desperate’ and attribute a large part of the neglect, which resulted in insufficient jobs, soaring inflation, and oppressive security services, to this relentless behavior.”

“Despite the natural resources and human potential in Morocco, our country ranked 123rd in the Human Development Index out of 191 listed countries, far behind Algeria and other countries torn by lethal wars, such as Yemen or mired in economic crises, like Lebanon,” they said.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with the absence of their monarch, King Mohammed VI, who spends too much time abroad (200 days out of 365). The monarch’s trips abroad have been the subject of controversy, with the couple questioning the purpose of the king’s frequent and extensive travels. These criticisms have been heightened amidst the current economic and health crises in Morocco, as citizens feel that Mohammed VI should be present to address these issues.

“The monarch has been absent from the public for extended periods of time, which has fueled speculation about his well-being and leadership. These speculations have been further compounded by the lack of transparency regarding his travels. The monarch’s absence has contributed to an increase in social and political unrest in the country. His recent trips to France and Gabon are “for fun” trips rather than for the betterment of the country,” said Dounia Filali, slamming the king’s dubious relationship with the Azaitar brothers, mixed martial arts fighters from Morocco.

Noting that the relationship between the King and the Azaitar brothers has caused a significant rift between the Moroccan royal family and the Moroccan people. Many feel that the King’s continued support for the brothers is misplaced and inappropriate, especially considering their recent behavior. Social media has been awash with comments criticizing the brothers and the King’s association with them. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that the King’s endorsement of the brothers is an indication of his support for criminal activity.

Earlier, the Economist website tackled this dubious relationship. “Five years ago, an unusual image appeared on Instagram. It showed Mohammed VI, the 54-year-old king of Morocco, sitting on a sofa next to a muscular man in sportswear. The two men were pressed up next to each other with matching grins, like a pair of kids at summer camp. Moroccans were more accustomed to seeing their king alone on a gilded throne,” said the author Nicolas Pelham.

In a related context, they referred to the deteriorating health condition of the Moroccan king, Mohammed VI, which has been the subject of concern among political analysts and citizens alike. The king has undergone several surgeries over the past few years, leading to rumors about his overall health and ability to govern.

“Today, Mohammed VI, who is ill, lives more in France than in his country. He manages the kingdom remotely. A mafia, made up of heads of intelligence services, the police, the gendarmerie, and wealthy businessmen who have connections with foreign powers and are helped by Zionist advisers, truly reigns over Morocco. A country that is sinking further into misery, injustice, and organized crime. Demonstrations are common but are stifled by the Makhzen. The Alaoui kingdom now lies on a boiling volcano”, further explained the couple.

Asked about the relationship between the Zionist entity and the monarchy, Dounia and Adnane Filali said that “relations between Morocco and the Zionist entity have always been more than just cordial. Although Morocco did not formally recognize the entity until the Abraham Accords, it maintained informal ties with it. 2020 normalization was a resume of relations, as these date back to the 1960s, during the reign of the late King Hassan II. Relations were marked by the immigration of Moroccan Jews to the Zionist entity and meetings between officials from the two sides.” Besides, Dounia Filali noted, in a video posted on her Youtube channel, that “Hassan II invited Zionist spies from Shin Bet and Mossad to spy on the Arab leaders’ activities at the 1965 Arab League Summit held in Casablanca, thus being instrumental in causing the Arabs’ defeat to the Zionist Entity in the 1967 Six-Day War.”

She added that “many Moroccans are concerned about the Zionists’ intentions in the region. The majority of Moroccans feel that this move is an attempt by the Zionist entity to exert its influence on North Africa and gain a foothold on the continent, which would inevitably exacerbate tensions in the area, not to serve the interests of Morocco or the Moroccan people.”

“The Zionist companies are controlling Moroccan markets and exploiting Moroccan lands to cultivate avocado,” she stressed.

In a related context, the couple referred to the double standards of Morocco’s king who is waging a war against Algeria for its support for Western Sahara, turning a blind eye to Spain’ support of this cause, along with the refusal of the kingdom’s allies USA and the Zionist Entity, to recognize neither his alleged ” 2007 autonomy plan to offer Western Sahara autonomy under its sovereignty; Morocco would remain in control of defense, foreign affairs and retain overall sovereignty, while the Saharawi people would be allowed their own government through legislative, executive, and judicial bodies” nor the “Moroccanness of Western Sahara,” explaining that the decisions of Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez and the former USA’s President Donald Trump are non-binding and do not represent the official stances of their respective countries.

The Moroccan journalists did not fail to tackle the Moroccangate scandal and the use of spyware against activists, political opponents, and political figures in the best service of the Zionist entity, explaining that “the Moroccan regime is playing all its cards to plunder Western Sahara’s wealth and turn a blind eye to human rights violations.”

In early 2021, Belgian police began to investigate possible interference by a foreign government in the EU’s decision-making, acting on information from the country’s intelligence services, according to the newspaper Le Soir. Following home searches, police seized, in December, up to €1.5 million in cash, with 600,000 euros only in the house of Panzeri.

In this vein, the Belgian justice system has sent arrest warrants to the French authorities against several Moroccan officials involved in the resounding corruption scandal that has rocked the European Parliament for nearly three months, including the current Moroccan ambassador to Poland and former chairman of the Moroccan-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee between 2011 and 2019, Abderrahim Atmoun, Yassine Mansouri, head of the DGED (intelligence services), as well as Mohamed Belahrach, a senior member of the DGED in Rabat whose identity had already been revealed in at least two Moroccan-European espionage cases a few years ago.

The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office noted that Abderrahim Atmoun collaborated with former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who admitted his involvement in corruption linked to Morocco with the aim of aiding Moroccan interference in European affairs and influencing European positions, particularly with regard to occupied Western Sahara.

The couple stressed that the Moroccan people do not harbor any hatred towards the brotherly Algerian people, as they are aware that the Makhzen is creating a virtual enemy to distract its people from the precariousness they are living in while the incomes of the king’s businesses and companies are skyrocketing.

“Conversely, the country’s king, Mohamed VI, has a net worth of approximately $2 billion, making him one of the world’s wealthiest monarchs. In contrast, the majority of the population struggles with basic necessities such as healthcare, education, and housing. This disparity highlights the need for more equitable distribution of resources and greater accountability on the part of those with economic power,” they said.

And to add: “Instead, Morocco’s wealth remains vested in the hands of an elite class who are mostly connected to the Makhzen and are known to have acquired their wealth through corrupt practices.”

Dounia, Adnane Filali face unprecedented persecution by Moroccan Makhzen

Together, Dounia and Adnane Filali represent a powerful voice in Morocco for change and social justice. They have used their platforms to raise awareness about the struggles of ordinary citizens and to push for policies and programs that would improve the lives of all Moroccans. Since 2020, the Moroccan regime has been using immoral, illegal, and inhumane tools to stifle their voices and persist in its cross-border repression.

Present on French soil as political refugees benefiting from UNHCR protection in China (under strict mandate Articles 5 and 6 of the 1951 Geneva Convention) following the persecution they are still suffering at the hands of the Moroccan regime and its intelligence services due to their journalistic activities, the Moroccan journalists listed the methods of persecution used by the Moroccan regime against them, namely, daily defamation resorting to Moroccan pro-regime media outlets, targeting not only their persons but also their families as they systematically publish private information relating to their relatives. Added to that, the couple listed the fabrication of accusations with the aim of questioning their credibility, including, among others, arms and drug trafficking, the sale of counterfeits and sex toys, money laundering, prostitution, incest, tax evasion, terrorism, high treason, etc. These accusations resulted in the lodging of false complaints against them based on the aforementioned false accusations, brought by associations and lawyers hired by the Moroccan regime.

In addition to its many gutter sites, the Makhzen has at its disposal thousands of electronic websites whose task is to flood and pollute social networks with all kinds of propaganda and subversive tools. This secret war takes a far more worrying turn with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). The Moroccan opposition figures are among the victims of these soft war tools. They are the subject of death threats, sexist insults and slander, calls for rape, and sexual discrimination against Dounia Filali through press articles and individuals in the service of the Moroccan regime.

Unable to pursue their journalistic activities properly, the couple left China for good and headed to France. Known for its strong ties with the Kingdom of Morocco, the couple paradoxically opted for France, betting on the European country’s values (liberty, equality, fraternity), respect for European and international laws, and freedom of expression.

Paradoxically, the human rights defenders are still the subject of unprecedented persecution by the Moroccan regime in France, with the complicity of certain French state bodies, depriving them of their legal, human, material, and security rights.

Dounia Filali, who is courageously fighting to freely exercise her profession as a journalist and defend the rights of Moroccans, referred, on her part, to the extreme humiliation inflicted on her, as she has been stripped of all her fundamental rights by the same body that shows the most abject and dangerous misogyny and sexism towards her, in addition to attacks from the Zionist entity.

They went to say that the far-right wing in France attacked them, labeling them admirers of Adolf Hitler, killers of Jews, anti-Semitic, pro-Iran, pro-Hezbollah, etc. As a result, they added, new defamation campaigns were launched against them. To wit, among others, a misleading statement issued by an association that claims to fight anti-Semitism in France with the aim of fueling international smear campaigns against them. Besides, they noted that “all the complaints they lodged relating to accusations of defamation, threats of beheadings, death threats, etc. were rejected for no logical reason. All their requests for a lawyer were denied.”

In fact, Dounia and Adnane Filali have been living through unprecedented persecution for two years, which has worrying psychological and physical consequences for their health. The constant pressure, threats, and uncertainty about their legal status and future generate intense stress that affects their mental well-being and their ability to continue their work as journalists and human rights defenders.

In addition to the psychological impacts, the situation of Dounia and Adnane Filali also has negative consequences for their physical health. The deprivation of medical care, housing, and financial assistance as political refugees in France worsens their state of health and makes them even more vulnerable to persecution from the Moroccan regime.

As a reminder, the Moroccan journalists, namely Dounia and Adnane Filali, launched an appeal to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and government, urging them to assume full responsibility and abide by the 1951 Geneva Convention following the Makhzen regime’s cross-border repression.

At the end of their interview, Dounia and Adnane Filali called for the release of the imprisoned journalists and human rights defenders, including the Saharawi and Riffian activists. Numerous activists, journalists, and artists have been imprisoned for their political views in Morocco. Their detentions lack transparency, and they are not given a fair trial. Most of them are held in inhumane conditions and subjected to abuse. The imprisonment affects not only activists but their families as well. Many families face financial difficulties due to the loss of income from an imprisoned family member. Families are also subjected to harassment and surveillance from authorities, making it difficult for them to speak out against their loved ones’ detention.

In conclusion, the Makhzen’s crackdown on activists has had a chilling effect on free speech and political activity in Morocco. Many activists live in constant fear of arrest and harassment, while others have been forced to flee the country to escape persecution, like Dounia and Adnane Filali!