Badr death trial: suspect’s amnesia defense crumbles

The hearing quickly took on the appearance of a judicial tug-of-war. The representative of the civil party demanded strictly objective debates, arguing that any digression would prejudice his clients. In the opposing camp, the lawyer for the accused nicknamed "ould lefchouch" firmly defended the presumption of innocence. Judging that "all parties are equal before the law," he demanded access to the detailed autopsy report and its translation, while criticizing the label of prime suspect attached to his client.

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At the bar, the accused opted for the amnesia strategy. He claimed to have no memory of the tragedy, justifying this blackout by a mixture of alcohol, drugs and psychiatric medications. Flight to Marrakech, calls to his family, request for vehicle repair or removal of the license plate: he denied everything outright. Faced with this wall, the civil party pointed out glaring contradictions with his statements recorded during his police custody. To clarify matters, the defense demanded viewing of surveillance camera footage to formally identify the driver.

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This version was however weakened by one of the co-accused. The latter formally identified Ashraf as being behind the wheel that evening, assuring that he seemed completely lucid from the evening until their flight to Marrakech. The public prosecutor drove the point home by questioning him about the disappearance of his phone and the removal of the license plate. The prosecutor especially noted the inconsistency of his amnesia, the accused having strangely managed to describe the clothing of the person supposed to be driving. Faced with these gray areas, the court postponed the case to June 19.