International Federation of Journalists (Brussels)
3 April 2008
press release
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on Moroccan authorities to investigate an attack on Mohamed Daw Serraj, a journalist and general secretary of the Syndicat National de la Presse Marocaine (SNPM), who sustained head injuries after two men assaulted him with a metal bar.
"We expect the Moroccan authorities to launch a swift and thorough investigation into this attack," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "We fear that Mohamed may have been targeted for his work as a journalist or as a leader of the SNPM."
On Tuesday evening Serraj was assaulted as he left the SNPM headquarters after a meeting. He was hit twice over the head with a metal bar by two attackers who escaped on a motorbike. According to the union, there is no evidence that the motive was theft as the attackers did not take or make any demands for any of his belongings.
Serraj was treated in hospital and received 10 stitches for his injury. He has registered a complaint about the incident with the police in Rabat.
Serraj works as a journalist for the Moroccan public broadcaster SNRT.
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide.
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