Moroccan Court Demands Appearance of Kuwaiti Fugitive in Teen Rape Case

30 March 2023 – byGinette · 1 min read

Charged with the rape of a 14-year-old girl in 2020, Abderrahmane Mohamed Samran Al-Azmi, a 24-year-old Kuwaiti national at the time of the events, had been released on bail thanks to his embassy, which had promised his presence at the trial. However, the accused has since escaped justice by fleeing Morocco, and his conditional release has been disapproved by the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH).

To prevent the accused from continuing to evade justice, the Marrakech Court of Appeal has decided to backtrack by demanding his appearance in court, despite an initially planned trial in absentia procedure. Quoted by Médias24, Omar Arbib, president of the Marrakech Ménara section of the AMDH, welcomed this decision, believing that the trial in absentia procedure would have allowed the accused to escape punishment.

Since both Morocco and Kuwait have adhered to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the AMDH is calling on the Moroccan justice system to demand the extradition of the accused and to hold the Kuwaiti embassy accountable for the promise made two years ago. The next hearing is scheduled for July 14, 2023 and the decision of the Moroccan justice will be notified to the Kuwaiti national through diplomatic channels.

Category: Morocco

Keywords:

Trial Kuwait Moroccan Association for Human Rights Pedophilia Extradition Violence and assaults