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By Hajare El Khaldi
Rabat – A Bulgarian justice approved the extradition of terrorism suspect Naufal Zahri to Morocco on Thursday, April 5.
The district court of Haskovo in Southern Bulgaria approved a request from Rabat-Interpol for the extradition of Moroccan national Naufal Zahri to his country of origin, reported the Bulgarian site the Sofia Globe.
Zahri, who was arrested at the Bulgaria-Turkey border in February 2018, after presenting false identification claiming to be of Syrian origins, was allegedly in possession of an explosive belt, hand grenades, firearms, and ammunition.
The Bulgarian authorities established his real identity and arrested him on the basis of a search warrant issued by the Interpol-Rabat office under the jurisdiction of the national bureau of Interpol (BCN).
The suspect admitted to prior awareness of the search warrant against him in Morocco, as he lived in Syria, where he used to work in the Department of Mechanical Engineering attached to the General Directorate of Lily Bearings. He cited the position as the reason behind his escape.
Zahri alleged that he was only involved with Daesh as a cleric to support his family, but denied committing any attacks.
Zahri’s lawyer, Anton Popov, previously declared that the suspect prefers to be tried in Bulgaria and serve any prison sentence there, out of fear of torture in Morocco: “He fears being killed in prison in Morocco.”
The 35-year-old suspect faces charges of affiliation to the Islamic States in Iraq and Syria, raising funds and participating in training for the terrorist organization, belonging to an organized crime network, recruiting for Daesh, and the illegal use and possession of firearms directed against national security and public order in Morocco.
