Morocco drug case: Political leaders sentenced to prison

This sprawling affair was triggered by revelations from Ahmed Ben Brahim. Nicknamed the "Escobar of the Sahara," this Malian national incarcerated since 2019 accused the two men of helping him transport drugs to North Africa and the Sahel from 2013 onwards. The drug trafficker also claimed they had defrauded him of a luxury villa in Casablanca.

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This is the very first time that high-profile political figures have been tried in such a drug trafficking case. Former executives of the Authenticity and Modernity party (PAM), Said Naciri and Abdennabi Bioui were found guilty of drug possession, trafficking and export, as well as corruption and forgery.

After two years of proceedings, the Casablanca Court of Appeal delivered its verdict this Thursday, June 25 in an extremely tense atmosphere. The reading of sentences concerning around twenty other defendants was nearly inaudible, drowned out by the tears of their relatives. Only one defendant was acquitted.

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Throughout the trial, the two main defendants firmly denied the accusations, with Abdenbi Bioui denouncing pure "lies." When questioned about the origin of their combined fortune estimated at several million euros, they claimed these funds came from strictly legal activities. Their lawyers argued the absence of material evidence, criticizing the prosecution for relying solely on statements from the Malian detainee.