Moroccan King Pardons Convicted Terrorist Among 1,500 Prisoners for Eid al-Fitr

Abdelkader Belliraj had been arrested in 2008 with 34 other men, accused of making up a terrorist organization. This is known as the "Belliraj cell". It included a group of people convicted for charges related to the planning of attacks inside Morocco, as well as for suspicions of money laundering and arms trafficking. In 2009, the Belgo-Moroccan had been sentenced to life imprisonment for charges related to the planning of attacks in Morocco, the sabotage of activities in Europe, extensive money laundering projects, as well as arms trafficking.

Two years later, some of the inmates involved in this case regained their freedom. Belliraj, on the other hand, continued to serve his sentence. At the time, the case had sparked widespread controversy in political and human rights circles. Human Rights Watch had denounced the life sentence imposed on the Moroccan expatriate, arguing that it was "based on his confessions and those of his co-defendants," which "would have been obtained under torture."

Before Belliraj, King Mohammed VI had pardoned two other people in 2020. Both involved in the same case, these two individuals had been sentenced to 15 and 30 years in prison respectively.