In a shocking move, the European Parliament recently censored a photo exhibition held at its headquarters in Brussels. The exhibition aimed to shed light on the hardships faced by people in Palestine, Western Sahara, and Ukraine, portraying the devastating impact of wars and conflicts in these regions.
Equipe Media, reached out to Sahrawi media activist and photographer Abdallahi Othman for insights into the incident. Othman, along with Álex Zapico and Juan Teixeira, had meticulously prepared for months to showcase the realities of war-torn areas worldwide.
However, their efforts were thwarted when a European far-right Member of Parliament intervened and ordered the removal of the photos. This act of censorship exposes the double standards within the European Parliament and reflects a disturbing willingness to support the illegal actions of occupiers in these conflict zones.
At the same time , Khadjatou Moukhtar, the Polisario Vice Representative in Madrid, stood up for the rights of photojournalists at the European Parliament. Mokhtar advocated for the right of photographers to showcase their work after obtaining approval from the Parliament itself. Her presence highlighted the importance of freedom of expression and the need to uphold the integrity of journalistic endeavors, despite attempts at censorship.