Moroccan Man in Spain Jailed for ISIS-Linked Terror Plot Against Seville Landmarks

The young man of Moroccan origin was arrested at his home in Seville in April 2019. At the age of 20, he had trained himself in the use of weapons and had even identified places to be targeted in terrorist attacks, such as the cathedral, the tram, the Sánchez Pizjuán stadium or the amusement park at the fair. He was prosecuted for jihadist terrorism, reports Europa Press.

To read: Trial Begins for Three Moroccans Accused of ISIS Recruitment in Spain

A week earlier, another young man living in Seville had been arrested in Casablanca. The search carried out at his home in Seville revealed that he was the accomplice of the other individual and was assisting him in preparing a possible attack. But the investigations later revealed that the accused did not have the material means to immediately carry out a terrorist attack, even though it was established that they had started to gather information on potential targets.

To read: Suspected Moroccan Terrorist Faces 12-Year Sentence for Plot Against Spain and Morocco

For the court, the intention of the two defendants was clear: they wanted to commit an attack. The convicted young man explained to the investigators how he became radicalized. He says he contacted in October 2018 his accomplice named Zouhair El B., a student at the University of Seville. The latter is also being prosecuted for a jihadist terrorism crime. He is still in custody, awaiting his trial.

To read: Spanish Police Arrest Moroccan Man Suspected of Online Jihadist Recruitment

The two defendants had forged a strong friendship, which led the first accused into a process of radicalization and indoctrination into the ISIS ideology with the aim of carrying out a terrorist attack in Seville. According to the prosecution, the accused was aware of his friend’s membership in ISIS and his intention to commit an attack in Seville. After his arrest, and "following an internal reflection process, the accused understood the senselessness of his conduct, and rejected both the ISIS ideology and any Islamic terrorist organization..."