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Rabat – Despite Morocco’s growing condemnation of Spain over the sheltering of Polisario leader Brahim Ghali, a Spanish judge ruled that Ghali was free to leave Spain at any time. The judge cited “lack of evidence” from plaintiffs that have alleged Ghali is responsible for numerous war crimes.
Since April, Ghali has been staying at the San Pedro de Logrono hospital in northern Spain, where he was admitted after contracting Covid-19. Spain’s sheltering of Ghali was immediately met with indignation from Moroccan officials, with Morocco arguing that the move amounted to support for the breakaway Polisario Front.
Ghali appeared in court today to give a statement before Judge Santiago Pedraz from the Spanish National Court concerning the allegations of his war crimes. After the hearing, Pedraz ruled that the plaintiffs in the case had failed to “support the existence of sufficient grounds to believe him responsible for any crime.” The ruling means Ghali will not be barred from leaving Spain, according to Spanish news outlet El Pais.
Shortly before, a military plane from Algeria attempting to land in Spain was refused entry by Spanish air control, and it is suspected by many that the plane intended to secretly whisk the Polisario leader away before the Spanish verdict. While the Polisario front remains quiet on exactly when Ghali was scheduled to leave Spain, sources report that Ghali is planning to leave Spain tonight and will likely be flown back to Algeria to finish his recovery.
The Spanish government has expressed its interest in resuming normal diplomatic ties with Morocco following Ghali’s departure, but Rabat does not seem as eager to leave this issue in the past.
On Monday, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita emphasized that the rift in Moroccan-Spanish ties went beyond the Ghali saga, and was rooted in “broken trust” between the two nations.
Bourita made the statement shortly after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused Morocco of allowing thousands of irregular migrants to storm the Spanish enclave of Ceuta as retaliation for Spain sheltering Ghali.
For Rabat, the Spanish government is skewing the true reasons for the rift between Morocco and Spain. Bourita has highlighted “hostile Spanish ulterior motives about the Sahara,” and accused Spain of double standards and incoherence when it comes to separatism. “You cannot fight separatism at home and promote it against your neighbor,” he said.
As issues over both irregular migration and the Ghali scandal continue, there appears to be no – or slim – prospects of Morocco and Spain repairing and maintaining their once celebrated political ties. With Ghali’s rapid departure from Spain after his court ruling, there will be speculations as to whether the Spanish judge acted in full accordance with the law, or political motivations helped secure Ghali’s “not guilty” sentence.
Ghali’s return to Algeria without a thorough and transparent trial will only serve to further deteriorate future diplomatic relations between Morocco and Spain.
