UK Accused of ’Justice Outsourcing’ in Securitas Heist Case: MMA Fighter’s Conviction Sparks Controversy

Due Process International and Detained in Dubai are calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the role of the British government in the conviction of Lee Brahim Murray-Lamrani, a British-Moroccan citizen incarcerated in the Salé prison in Morocco. According to the two legal defense organizations, the crime was committed in the United Kingdom, but when the British authorities were unable to obtain the extradition of the suspect due to his dual nationality, they transmitted the investigation file to the Rabat authorities, thus facilitating a conviction in Morocco. "This is a clear case of prosecution by proxy," denounces Due Process International.

"The British government has bypassed its own courts, transferred the trial of a British citizen to a foreign jurisdiction, and denied him the legal protections he would have benefited from at home," the two organizations note in a statement published on July 16. According to them, the Moroccan trial was marred by multiple violations of fundamental rights: "lack of a lawyer on appeal, arbitrary extension of the sentence, acceptance of evidence without local verification." Arrested in a shopping center in Rabat on June 25, 2006, Murray was found guilty by a Moroccan court in June 2010. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. A sentence increased to 25 years on November 30, 2010. For Radha Stirling, CEO of DPI and founder of Detained in Dubai, this conviction must be the subject of a thorough investigation.

The two organizations are calling on British MPs from the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights to verify whether the United Kingdom has failed in its obligations, particularly within the framework of "enhanced diplomatic cooperation" with Morocco. "It’s not just about one man," Stirling added. And to continue: "If the UK can orchestrate a prosecution abroad when extradition fails, it paves the way for future abuses, not just in Morocco, but worldwide."

DPI is calling on the British government to support a pardon for Murray. "Lee has already served the majority of his prison sentence, much longer than he probably would have if he had been tried in the UK. It is time to show compassion and for the UK to remedy this injustice," the organization believes.