Egyptian Doctor Faces Possible Extradition and Torture Risk in Morocco

The Moroccan authorities are holding him on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by Egypt, which is demanding his extradition for "political reasons". A former professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Al Azhar University, he was convicted in absentia to life imprisonment in his country of origin. His family fears that he may be deported to Egypt where he would risk torture and inhuman treatment, especially since he suffers from high blood pressure.

"We are very worried for him," said a family member. "His health is fragile and he risks the worst if he is sent back to Egypt." Dr. Imam is the father of four children. One of them was killed in 2013 during the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in in Egypt.

Morocco is a signatory to the Convention against Torture and is therefore obliged not to extradite a person to a country where they risk being tortured. Article 3 of this convention is clear: no State party may expel or return a person to another State where there are serious grounds for believing that they would be in danger of being subjected to torture.