A Moroccan journalist was taken into custody upon arrival at Tangier airport, and an American reporter was detained and had his devices confiscated at Washington Dulles International Airport, in separate incidents that have drawn attention from press freedom advocates.

Ali Lmrabet, a Moroccan national who also holds French citizenship and resides in Spain, was arrested on 12 July based on multiple outstanding search warrants, according to a statement from the public prosecutor at the Casablanca correctional court. He was transferred to the headquarters of the national judicial police brigade in Casablanca, where he was placed in police custody under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office. The investigation concerns a series of digital publications that Moroccan authorities say contain defamatory and insulting statements targeting individuals and institutions, as well as contemptuous remarks about legally constituted bodies. On Tuesday, the public prosecutor extended his custody to allow further investigation, with Lmrabet expected to appear before the prosecutor on Wednesday.

In the United States, American journalist Max Blumenthal stated that he was stopped by Customs and Border Protection officers upon returning from Iran. According to his account, carried by Tehran-based Press TV, officers searched his luggage and demanded access to his mobile phones; after he declined to unlock them, the devices were seized. Blumenthal described the questioning as politically motivated harassment linked to his reporting from Iran, including coverage of public reactions to regional developments and the assassination of a senior Iranian leader. No official statement from US authorities has been made public regarding the incident.

The Lmrabet case has prompted scrutiny of the responses from France and Spain, given his dual nationality and family ties. Spanish commentator Ignacio Cembrero noted that Paris and Madrid have remained largely silent, contrasting this with their interventions in similar cases involving Algeria. Press freedom organisations, including Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation of Journalists, have condemned the detention and called for Lmrabet’s immediate release, while pointing to Morocco’s low ranking on global press freedom indices. In the Blumenthal case, the absence of an official US account leaves his allegations of intimidation unconfirmed.

Lmrabet remains in custody as the investigation proceeds, with the public prosecutor to determine the next judicial steps. Blumenthal’s seized devices have not been returned, and no charges have been reported. Both cases remain open.