Casablanca - The president of the Fuenlabrada Islamic Cultural Center in the region of Madrid, Mimoun Amrioui, has said that the “referral of the Gdim Izik case to an ordinary court gives guarantees for a fair trial.”
Casablanca – The president of the Fuenlabrada Islamic Cultural Center in the region of Madrid, Mimoun Amrioui, has said that the “referral of the Gdim Izik case to an ordinary court gives guarantees for a fair trial.”
Mimoun Amrioui, the president of the Fuenlabrada Islamic Cultural Center and an actor engaged in the defense of the human rights in Spain highlighted that the referral of the case of Gdim Izik before an ordinary court provides all the conditions and legal guarantees for a fair trial.
In his statement, Amrioui said the referral of this trial to a civilian court is consistent with the “international parameters of transparent justice and meets the criteria of the rule of law.”
Amrioui added that “recognized jurists and international human rights experts have confirmed that the new trial conforms to the rule of law,” noting that this referral showcases that “justice is taking its natural course of clarifying the facts” vis-à-vis the incident.
The human rights activist also expressed his “rejection of any foreign interference or exploitation of this judicial process for ideological or political purposes.” He pointed out the accused in this case have benefited from the necessary counsel as well as access to all the documentation pertaining to the prosecution.
Amrioui expressed his trust in the Moroccan justice system and its willingness to continue addressing this issue with full respect for the individual rights of the defendants.
25 people are being prosecuted in connection with the tragic events that took place on November 8, 2010 in the town of Gdim Izik, 15 km from the southern city of Laayoune, during which 13 people, including 11 members of the security forces, were brutally killed.
The Military Court of Rabat originally tried and convicted the 25 individuals who were prosecuted in the case. On February 17, 2013, the court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 20, 25, and 30 years to life in prison for “constitution of a criminal gang” and “violence against the forces of law and order leading to death with premeditation and complicity.”
However, in July 2016, the Court of Cassation annulled the verdict and the convictions of the accused, and ordered that the case be referred to the Court of Appeals in Salé because the military justice reform introduced by Morocco in July 2015 states that civilians can not be tried by a military court.
The Criminal Chamber of Salé’s Appeals Court began the retrial on December 26, 2016, but delayed the case until January 23, 2017, to allow the defense counsel more time to prepare.
