After 19 Years, Moroccan Rights Committee Renews Calls for Transparency in Thami Bennani Case

Mohammedia – A Moroccan rights committee renewed its call yesterday for full transparency and accountability in the Thami Bennani case, nearly 19 years after the crime, saying the handling of the file continues to raise serious concerns, particularly regarding the fate of the victim’s body and alleged irregularities in the judicial process.

The National Committee for Truth and Justice for Thami Bennani said that despite judicial rulings issued in recent years, the case has not reached its conclusion.

The group stressed that key questions surrounding the disappearance, investigation, and concealment of evidence remain unanswered, describing the file as one of the most painful and unresolved cases in Morocco’s justice system.

Thami Bennani disappeared in 2007 at the age of 17 after leaving his home in Mohammedia with a group of friends. For years, his family said they received conflicting information and little clarity about what happened.

In 2023, Morocco’s Court of Appeal in Casablanca sentenced two defendants to 20 years in prison for their involvement in the case, officially confirming that Bennani had been killed.

While the verdict marked a major judicial step, the family and its legal representatives said it failed to fully clarify the circumstances of the crime or provide closure.

In its latest statement, the committee said Bennani was abducted, killed, and his body concealed, yet authorities have never officially identified the location of his remains.

It said the family endured nearly two decades of suffering while navigating courts, hospitals, and cemeteries in search of answers, a process that took a severe emotional and physical toll.

The committee also raised concerns over alleged procedural manipulation, missing official documents, pressure on lawyers and witnesses, and contradictions that, it said, contributed to delaying justice.

It called for a transparent and comprehensive reopening of the file, urging authorities to identify all those responsible for the crime and its cover-up and to ensure equal accountability before the law, regardless of status or influence.