Moroccan court sentences Fath Al-Andalous terrorists

2010-01-12

Members of a Moroccan terrorist cell with ties to al-Qaeda will be spending years behind bars following last week's sentencing.

By Mawassi Lahcen in Casablanca and Siham Ali in Rabat for Magharebia – 12/01/10

[Mawassi Lahcen] Members of terrorist group Fath Al-Andalous received up to 15 years in prison.

A Moroccan court on January 7th sentenced members of the group Fath al-Andalous (Reconquest of Andalusia) to fines and 4-15 year prison terms for plotting terrorist attacks against military and civilian facilities.

Those convicted were arrested last summer and charged with preparing terrorist attacks against the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) headquarters. Authorities also claimed Fath Al-Andalous had exchanged messages about how to assemble explosives with members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Algeria, Mauritania, France and Spain.

The prison terms handed down by the court, which specialises in terrorism cases, were far less severe than the prosecutors' recommendations.

"The sentences issued in that case were mitigated," a Moroccan expert on extremism, Mohamed Darif, told Magharebia after the trial. He claimed that the judges in such courts hand out light sentences because they are embarrassed by the weak evidence submitted by investigators.

The court sentenced Rachid Zerdani, a mechanic and the alleged leader of the terrorist cell, to 15 years in prison and a 500,000-dirham fine. Four others – Kamal Zeimi, Ismail Ammar, Abdel Mawla Emara and Abdel Rahman Oufi – were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Six others earned eight-year terms, while another three were sentenced to 3 years behind bars. One defendant will serve no time, but must pay a 5,000-dirham fine.

The defendants hail from Laayoune, Tangier, Tetouan, Larache and Casablanca.

Terrorism researcher Idriss Kasouri called the sentences too severe. "The [court] specialised in terrorism cases plays its role in the continuation of the pre-emptive war on terrorism," he said. "Thus … as soon as defendants are made to appear in court, severe sentences are handed down against them, even though the prosecution's evidence is usually not that strong".

"Also, terrorism judges rarely declare anyone innocent," Kasouri added.

Security specialist Mohammed Benhemmou told Magharebia that the threats of extremism and terrorism still exist and that there is a need to remain vigilant.

"Today, if we are to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism, we need to be united not just at the local and regional levels, but also at the international level," he said.

However, Unified Socialist Party chief Mohammed Moujahid expressed concern that heavy-handed measures might backfire on Morocco's anti-terrorism campaign.

He claimed that extremism had diminished in recent years, both in Morocco and across the Arab region. While acknowledging that a threat still exists, Moujahid said it was important to build the foundation of a healthy democracy by reforming the constitution, the school system and the legal system. Most importantly, he said, Morocco needs to eliminate the twin scourges of marginalisation and restricted liberties.

"We have to build a solid economic and social space that allows the public to exercise their full rights as citizens," he said. "In this way, extremism will be deprived of the breeding ground it needs."