Provisional Commission for the Management of the Press and Publishing Sector Takes Legal Action After the Illegal Broadcast of a Confidential Meeting by Hamid El Mahdaoui

The Provisional Commission in charge of managing the press and publishing sector held a meeting on Friday, November 21, 2025, to examine content published by the individual named Hamid El Mahdaoui on his YouTube channel on the evening of Thursday, November 20, 2025. The video consists of an edited compilation of audio and visual excerpts taken from an internal meeting of the Commission on Ethics and Disciplinary Affairs, broadcast with the intention of misleading the public, harming members of the said Commission and defaming the Provisional Commission.

The Provisional Commission wishes to clarify the following:

1. The publication and broadcast of excerpts from an internal meeting of this Commission constitute an illegal act, as the deliberations of commissions are confidential under Article 18 of the Internal Regulations of the National Press Council. Any publication of these deliberations is therefore a criminal offense punishable by law. Furthermore, sharing content or footage from internal meetings without the consent of those present is illegal and bears no relation to freedom of expression or press freedom.
2. The actions of Mahdaoui are merely a continuation of a sustained approach he has pursued for several months, during which he publishes videos daily, sometimes several per day, to defame members of the Commission, attack them with the most insulting language and question the financial integrity of the president of the Provisional Commission. He has even claimed that the ethical procedure initiated against him was dictated by Israel !!!!…
3. The Provisional Commission for the management of the press and publishing sector has ignored these attacks until now, despite the violations committed against the dignity, honor and financial integrity of its members. Such practices are legally unacceptable, but they are above all ethically unacceptable and contrary to human rights. The principles of journalistic ethics and human rights condemn the abusive use of freedom of expression as a tool for insult, defamation and slander on a daily basis, while hiding behind a narrative of victimhood. Mahdaoui, for his part, does not hesitate to use every register of denial and insult to attack members of the Provisional Commission.
4. The statements attributed to the president of the Commission on Ethics and Disciplinary Affairs are false, distorted and fabricated. The president of this Commission is known for his complete distance from such practices. He has led the Commission since the creation of the National Press Council with competence, integrity and professionalism.
5. The deliberations of the Commission on Ethics and Disciplinary Affairs, as broadcast by Mahdaoui himself, were entirely ordinary. All legal procedures and formalities were respected. The decisions taken against him were based on the law. The president of the Provisional Commission was only invited at the end of the meeting to be informed that the Ethics Commission deemed it necessary to apply Article 52 of Law 90.13 establishing the National Press Council, which states:
   “… The president of the Council may urgently request the president of the competent court the immediate enforcement of the sanction pending the final ruling…”

Additionally, Article 19 of the Internal Regulations of the National Press Council states:

“… The president of the Commission may invite any person whose presence is deemed useful, in an advisory capacity…”

Thus, presenting the decisions taken, the proposals made or the presence of a member of the Provisional Commission as a “conspiracy” is an unfounded allegation contradicted by the decisions adopted and their legal basis. The amplification of remarks made on the margins of any meeting is merely a desperate attempt to evade ethical responsibility.

7. For all these reasons, the Provisional Commission in charge of managing the press and publishing sector has decided to initiate legal proceedings against Hamid El Mahdaoui and any individual whose direct or indirect involvement in this condemnable and illegal act is established.

The Provisional Commission wishes to clarify the following:

1. The publication and broadcast of excerpts from an internal meeting of this Commission constitute an illegal act, as the deliberations of commissions are confidential under Article 18 of the Internal Regulations of the National Press Council. Any publication of these deliberations is therefore a criminal offense punishable by law. Furthermore, sharing content or footage from internal meetings without the consent of those present is illegal and bears no relation to freedom of expression or press freedom.
2. The actions of Mahdaoui are merely a continuation of a sustained approach he has pursued for several months, during which he publishes videos daily, sometimes several per day, to defame members of the Commission, attack them with the most insulting language and question the financial integrity of the president of the Provisional Commission. He has even claimed that the ethical procedure initiated against him was dictated by Israel !!!!…
3. The Provisional Commission for the management of the press and publishing sector has ignored these attacks until now, despite the violations committed against the dignity, honor and financial integrity of its members. Such practices are legally unacceptable, but they are above all ethically unacceptable and contrary to human rights. The principles of journalistic ethics and human rights condemn the abusive use of freedom of expression as a tool for insult, defamation and slander on a daily basis, while hiding behind a narrative of victimhood. Mahdaoui, for his part, does not hesitate to use every register of denial and insult to attack members of the Provisional Commission.
4. The statements attributed to the president of the Commission on Ethics and Disciplinary Affairs are false, distorted and fabricated. The president of this Commission is known for his complete distance from such practices. He has led the Commission since the creation of the National Press Council with competence, integrity and professionalism.
5. The deliberations of the Commission on Ethics and Disciplinary Affairs, as broadcast by Mahdaoui himself, were entirely ordinary. All legal procedures and formalities were respected. The decisions taken against him were based on the law. The president of the Provisional Commission was only invited at the end of the meeting to be informed that the Ethics Commission deemed it necessary to apply Article 52 of Law 90.13 establishing the National Press Council, which states:
   “… The president of the Council may urgently request the president of the competent court the immediate enforcement of the sanction pending the final ruling…”

Additionally, Article 19 of the Internal Regulations of the National Press Council states:

“… The president of the Commission may invite any person whose presence is deemed useful, in an advisory capacity…”

Thus, presenting the decisions taken, the proposals made or the presence of a member of the Provisional Commission as a “conspiracy” is an unfounded allegation contradicted by the decisions adopted and their legal basis. The amplification of remarks made on the margins of any meeting is merely a desperate attempt to evade ethical responsibility.

7. For all these reasons, the Provisional Commission in charge of managing the press and publishing sector has decided to initiate legal proceedings against Hamid El Mahdaoui and any individual whose direct or indirect involvement in this condemnable and illegal act is established.

Editorial team/le7tv (Press Release)