Two French citizens sentenced to death in Morocco for 30 years

According to figures made known to the services of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of French citizens detained abroad in 2023 stands at 2,297, of which approximately 11% are women, indicates a report "on the situation of French citizens established outside of France 2024". "It should be noted that these figures should be taken with caution insofar as in many countries, particularly neighboring ones, the French arrested or incarcerated do not necessarily wish to make themselves known to the services of the ministry or to benefit from consular protection," however, specifies the Quai d’Orsay in this report.

This report explains: "Similarly, detainees do not always mention the reasons for their detention, which may consequently remain unknown to the French authorities insofar as the local authorities are not obliged to communicate them to them." Where are these French detainees abroad? The majority are located in the European Union and Western Europe (50% of the total), particularly in the neighboring countries (one third of the total). The others are in prisons on other continents: North Africa (16%), Asia and Oceania, the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa (8 to 9% of the total each), the same report specifies.

In total, 2,071 cases of French citizens were behind bars abroad during the first eight months of the year 2024, reports Le Parisien. As of September 1, 2024, the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were aware of 1,658 French citizens actually incarcerated, specifies another response from the MAE to the Senate. Among them are dual nationals sentenced to death for terrorism in Morocco. These are Stéphane Aït Idir and Redouane Hamadi. Arrested in 1994, they were found guilty of carrying out the attack of August 24, 1994 in Marrakech. They have been incarcerated for 30 years, including 29 years on death row.