Morocco Crime Boss Gets Life Sentence for Saint-Ouen Shootings

In its reasoning, the court described a hierarchical organization led by El Mehdi Zouhairi, nicknamed “Malsain.” He was found guilty of ordering, from Moroccan territory, retaliatory attacks against a rival clan amid drug trafficking. His absence from the trial, while he remains on the other side of the Mediterranean, was highlighted by the judges as a sign of impunity. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year minimum-security term, reports Le Parisien.

On Bladi.net : Saint-Ouen Shootings: Life Sentences Sought in “Malsain” Drug Network Trial

To carry out the crimes, the mastermind relied on twins Jérémy and Samuel Youmbi, who were responsible for recruiting the killers and supplying the weapons. They were sentenced to 30 years in prison. The shooters, Yves-André Noël and Saad-Eddine El Ammouri, were each sentenced to 24 and 30 years in prison, respectively. Among the evidence, the court considered explicit messages and photos of the victims found on a phone, amounting to a claim of responsibility for the crimes.

On Bladi.net : Assassinations of Tidiane and Sofiane: the killers in the dock, the mastermind still in Morocco?

The court also accepted the “homicidal intent” toward Reda, 16, the sole survivor of the shooting in the Soubise housing estate, which claimed the lives of Tidiane and Sofiane. The court held that the layout of the site left no doubt about the perpetrators’ intention to kill all witnesses present. In addition to prison sentences, bans on staying in Île-de-France and on possessing weapons were imposed on all those convicted.