Rabat – Sale’s Appeals Court has postponed the appeal process of the 24 suspects involved in the killing of two Scandinavian tourists in the Atlas Mountains. The process due to begin today, August 28 will now take place on September 11.
Danish Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and Norwegian victim Maren Ueland, 28,were beheaded in December 2018 when they were bivouacking at mount Toubkal in the Imlil region, 80 kilometers from Marrakech.
On July 18, the same court sentenced the three main perpetrators of the heinous crime to the death penalty.
Abdessamad El Joud, a 25-year-old street vendor confessed having to beheaded one of the victims with Younes Ouziad, a 27-year-old carpenter who killed the other girl, while Rachid Afatii, 33, was filming the scene.
A fourth individual, Abderrahim Khayali, who was filmed with the three main suspects pledging allegiance ISIS was sentenced to life imprisonment. The video was recorded three weeks before the crime.
While the defense lawyers are asking for light sentences for the perpetrators, civil party lawyers are asking for confirmation of the preliminary verdicts.
Hafida Mkasaoui, one of the defense lawyers, told Morocco World News on August 28 that the families of the victims appealed the court’s decision on compensation.
The court ruled on July 18 that the claim for compensation from the state for the families of the victims is inadmissible. The court, however, asked for the four main defendants to pay MAD 2 million to the families jointly.
Maksaoui said that the appeal request will revive the case..
“As a defense team we also requested an appeal,” Maksaoui said.
The defense team are asking for lighter sentences for the suspects. Asked whether they think the court will accept their request, Maksaoui said that it is a “possibility.”
