Belgian Court Sentences Ringleader to 25 Years for Torture and Murder of Moroccan Man

The sentence is heavy, even though the main defendant, Amine Ait Aadi, faced up to 30 years in prison. At the end of the trial, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role as the ringleader in the torture and murder. As for the other individuals involved, they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 23 years. The jury did not follow the public prosecutor’s request. It therefore pronounced lenient sentences, not without recognizing the seriousness of the facts and the total lack of moral sense and respect for the victim, but taking into account the difficult childhood of some of the accused and a problematic education.

The facts they are accused of date back to March 9, 2019. That day, they kidnapped Hilal Makhtout from his home in Limburg and tortured him to death. The disappearance of a certain amount of cocaine and money was the origin of this execution. According to the forensic report, the victim’s body showed no less than 70 injuries, caused by kicks, punches and tasers. Not to mention burns on 20 to 25% of his body, including six cigarette burns on his face.