(28 March 2024) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) — Several Moroccan non-governmental organizations are pressing their government to urgently intervene and save six Moroccan men sentenced to death in Somalia. This appeal arose in the wake of a verdict by a military court in Puntland, which found these individuals guilty of affiliating with the Daesh terrorist group.
In February, the court announced that the six Moroccans were condemned following their alleged engagement with Daesh/ISIS operatives in the Al-Miskaat mountains of the Bari region. This case has since sparked international concern and drawn attention to the fate of the accused, who claim they were unwittingly embroiled in the conflict.
Organizations such as the Moroccan Coalition against the Death Penalty (CMCPM), the Association of Justice of the Court of Justice, and the Network of Lawyers Against the Death Penalty have issued a joint statement expressing their profound concern. “We are deeply troubled by the sentences handed down to our fellow citizens, who sought better lives abroad only to find themselves caught in a nightmare,” the statement reads. It highlights that some of the accused had ventured to Somalia in search of employment, unaware of the dark turn their journey would take.
The defence has underscored the accused’s desire to return home, arguing that extremist recruiters deceived them. The collective Moroccan NGOs have condemned the death sentences as a violation of the rights of Moroccan citizens, calling on the Moroccan authorities to take immediate action to ensure the repatriation and safety of the individuals concerned.
Halqabsi News
