Nador Court Postpones Trial of 28 Migrants Involved In Melilla Crisis

Rabat – Nador’s Court of Appeals postponed on Wednesday the trial of 28 migrants who were involved in the Melilla events that took place late June, the Nador branch of The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) reported.

The trial was delayed to July 27, after authorities confirmed the defendants’ identities. The delay will allow the defense to prepare and summon plaintiffs, the association said.

During the aforementioned identity check, the AMDH noted that one of the arrested individuals was revealed to be a Yemeni national, rather than Sudanese, as the initial court documents said.

“The failure to verify even the convicts’ nationalities poses many questions on the way these procedures are done, and on why the Sudanese nationality is being disproportionately targeted,” the AMDH said on its Facebook page.

The arrested individuals are charged with irregular migration, as well as use of force against security forces, among other charges.

More than 60 individuals were arrested over the June 24 events in Melilla. The trial of 36 other migrants was also postponed earlier this week to July 18 at the request of the defense.

On Friday, June 24, thousands of migrants attempted to climb the border fence in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in an effort to cross into European territory.

Trampling from the large crowd and violent clashes with border police led to the deaths of 23 migrants, as well as hundreds of injuries sustained by security forces and immigrants alike.

Human rights organizations such as the AMDH and the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) immediately launched investigations into the tragedy, repeating calls for humane treatment of immigrants, a reevaluation of migration and border protection policies, and increased efforts to combat human trafficking rings.