Opinion by the Editorial Board

ONE OF the more awkward foreign policy problems inherited by the Biden administration is President Donald Trump’s reckless recognition in December of Morocco’s claim to the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The move reversed long-standing U.S. policy and placed Washington at odds with European allies, African nations and U.N. resolutions. Mr. Trump acted not on the merits of the issue, but as part of a deal to induce Morocco to upgrade its relations with Israel. It was an unjust and unnecessary reward for a regime that, under King Mohammed VI, has grown increasingly autocratic.

With many foreign challenges to juggle, the new administration unsurprisingly has been slow to clarify whether it will confirm the Trump position or reverse it, as it has been urged to do by 25 senators. Before it decides, it ought to engage with the regime about its human rights record — and, in particular, its assault on freedom of expression. A number of Moroccan journalists and human rights activists have been prosecuted for criticizing the king or exposing corruption, and two particularly prominent journalists are now more than three weeks into hunger strikes that could have tragic results.

Both Soulaiman Raissouni, the editor of the newspaper Akhbar Al-Youm, and Omar Radi, an award-winning investigative reporter, have been imprisoned without trial since last year. Mr. Raissouni, known for his criticism of government corruption and advocacy of political reform, was arrested on May 22, 2020; Mr. Radi, who also has written on corruption and served as a correspondent for international media, was detained on July 29. Mr. Radi was first charged with espionage, based on his contacts with Western diplomats and work for a British consulting firm. According to an investigation by Human Rights Watch, there is “no evidence that Radi did anything besides conduct ordinary journalistic or corporate due diligence work and maintain contact with diplomats, as many journalists and researchers do routinely.”

(C) The Washington Post