Morocco’s King Pardons Two Convicted in High-Profile Terrorism Case

On his Facebook account, Rachida Hatti, the wife of Abdelkader Belliraj, announced the release of the two people prosecuted with her husband in the same case. They are Loqman and Abdellah Rammach, who were sentenced to 15 and 30 years in prison respectively. As for the mastermind of the group, Abdelkader Belliraj, sentenced to life imprisonment, no details were given about his release.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the inmates who benefited from the royal pardon were selected based on human and strictly objective criteria, taking into account their age, their poor health condition and the duration of their detention, as well as the good conduct and discipline they have shown throughout their incarceration.

In 2008, the Belliraj case had made headlines in the Moroccan press, especially when the Ministry of the Interior had announced the arrest of 35 people for the formation of a "terrorist cell".