The murders of two Scandinavian tourists not only caused shockwaves but also led some Moroccans to urge the government to give the death penalty to the suspects.
Rabat – Some Moroccans have created a petition on Change.org, calling on Morocco’s Ministry of Justice to give the murderers of two Scandinavian tourists near Mount Toubkal the death penalty.
According to those who signed the petition, “The death penalty is undoubtedly the right solution to this horrible crime.”
The man who launched the petition, Ilyas El Koraichi, wrote, “As a Moroccan, I request the application of Articles 393, 399 of the Moroccan Penal Code.”
Articles 392 and 393 deal with intentional and premeditated killing. Although Morocco has not abolished capital punishment, no executions have taken place since 1993.
Between 1956 and 1993, Morocco reportedly sentenced 198 people to death. Egypt is the only North African country which still executes people in criminal cases.
Capital punishment is declining globally, and numerous international NGOs strongly advocate against the death penalty.
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Human rights activists in Morocco urged the Moroccan government just two weeks ago to join an international agreement ending the death penalty.
At the time of writing, the petition calling for Morocco to give the death penalty to the suspects has 233 signatories, with a goal of 500.
A graphic video, allegedly of the murder, began circulating on social media Wednesday night. The video shows Moroccan men decapitating one of the victims.
The alleged murderers pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a video taken last week and posted on Twitter on Thursday.
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Police arrested the first suspect on Tuesday and the three remaining suspects yesterday.
Authorities found the bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway on Monday.
Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) is now investigating the crime as an act of terrorism.
The government strongly denounced the act, and he House of Representatives expressed its “deep condolences to the families of the two victims.”
