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Rabat – In the aftermath of the tragic incident involving the fatal shooting of two Moroccan tourists by the Algerian coast guards near Saidia, the Moroccan diaspora in Europe has decided to come together to denounce the killings and demand accountability.
Associations representing Moroccans living abroad have urged social media users, political figures, and civil society actors to participate in these protests, which are scheduled to take place in Barcelona on September 9, in Paris on September 10, and in Brussels on September 23.
The Paris sit-in will take place at the Esplanade of Human Rights near the Trocadero Square. Meanwhile, the Brussels protest will take place outside of the European Parliament.
Following the protests, the organizers intend to officially file a complaint at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The tragic incident occurred last week when a group of Moroccan tourists were on a jet-ski excursion in Saidia beach when they became disoriented and strayed into Algerian waters.
It was in this context that Algerian coast guards opened fire on the French-Moroccan tourists, leading to the tragic death of two of them, one of whom holds French citizenship.
The incident has triggered nationwide criticism, with several Moroccan NGOs and human rights activists condemning the killing and calling for justice.
Read also: Jet Ski Tragedy: UK Urges British Tourists in Morocco to Stay Clear of Algeria Waters
Mohamed Kissi, a survivor and brother of one of the victims, said that the Algerian coast guards opened fire without issuing any warning shots despite telling them that they had lost their way.
Meanwhile, Algeria’s Ministry of Defense claimed that its coast guards shot the individuals after they defied their order to stop “several times” and attempted to flee the scene “by carrying out dangerous maneuvers.”
Moroccan authorities opened last week an investigation into the case.
