Rabat – A graphic video went viral on December 19 showing what some believe to be the killing of one of the Scandinavian tourists near Imlil, a village in the Atlas Mountains near Mount Toubkal in Morocco.
The two young women were found dead on December 17 with wounds to the neck. Four suspects have since been taken into custody. Authorities identified the victims as 28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway and 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen from Denmark.
Before being removed from Facebook, the video was shared on several pages, including on Louisa’s remembrance page.
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The 72-second video shows a blonde woman struggling and screaming, just inches from a tent, as a man begins to cut her neck. A second man, while filming, attempts to stop the victim moving by applying pressure with his foot.
One of the men is heard, speaking in Darija (Moroccan Arabic), “This is a revenge for our brothers in Hajin,” referring to a small town in eastern Syria that was ISIS’ last holdout.
After several seconds, the armed attacker is seen decapitating the woman. He then raises her head, before throwing it on the ground and leaving her body by the tent.
Although the video seems to match the circumstances of the crime, its authenticity has not yet been confirmed. Rabat’s Court of Appeals is still investigating.
In a press conference today, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen commented on the video, saying, “There is a video going around on social media, but its authenticity is still not verified.”
