DR ‹ › Authorities at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca on Tuesday prevented Abdel Samad Fathi, a leader of the Justice and Spirituality Group and head of the Moroccan Commission for Supporting the Nation's Causes, from leaving the country for Turkey. Fathi had planned to travel to take part in the «Global Freedom Flotilla», a campaign bringing together activists from several countries aiming to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip. The flotilla is expected to include 56 ships. Its first vessel set sail from the port of Barcelona on April 12, with additional ships due to join along the route in what has been described as one of the largest solidarity maritime initiatives in recent years. In an initial reaction, the Justice and Spirituality Movement strongly condemned what it described as an «arbitrary ban lacking any legal or ethical basis», calling it a «blatant violation of constitutionally and internationally guaranteed rights to movement and expression». The group added that the measure does not target Abdel Samad Fathi alone but reflects, in its view, a broader attempt to target Moroccan positions supporting the Palestinian cause and to discourage expressions of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
