Morocco Delays Extradition of French Hacking Suspect to US, Family Awaits News

For the father of the young Frenchman, "from the moment the decree was signed, the Americans have 30 days to recover his son." The Moroccan authorities had authorized the extradition operation since December 27. Since then, no information has been given about the date of execution, reports the French newspaper L’Est républicain.

In the meantime, Sébastien’s father, accompanied by three members of the "Justice for Sébastien" collective, met with the prefect of the Vosges on Friday, January 13. "We wanted to explain a bit where we were," he said. On this occasion, the small group denounced the communication difficulties with the consulate in Morocco. "On this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is below par. [...] It’s not true that they take care of the families. It’s always me who has to call back to get answers," lamented Paul Raoult.

According to him, two weeks have passed since the signing of the decree, but Sébastien is still imprisoned in Morocco. The wait is hard to bear, he said. "We are suspended by this decision and with time, it becomes heavier and heavier. Every morning we say to ourselves: ’It’s going to happen today’," he added.

However, explained Paul Raoult, the thirty-day deadline is not "set in stone." It can for example be extended due to a technical problem. The anti-torture committee, which has been seized, can also ask to "suspend extradition, the time to take cognizance of the merits of the case," he specified.