Morocco Reopens Case of ’Turbo’ Abakrim: 2007 French Murder Trial Under Review

This postponement comes as part of the appeal procedure regarding serious accusations against Reda Abakrim. The court must re-examine the case after an initial judgment that had elicited mixed reactions in light of previous judicial decisions in this same case.

The facts for which Réda Abakrim is being prosecuted in Morocco date back to 2007 and took place in France. They concern charges of kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and premeditated murder. Three other individuals are also implicated as accomplices in this case.

Prior to the Moroccan proceedings, Réda Abakrim had been sentenced in absentia to twenty years of criminal imprisonment by the French justice system. However, during his trial in the first instance in Morocco for these same facts, the court had pronounced his acquittal. It is this latter decision that is the subject of the current appeal. The possibility of trying Abakrim in Morocco for this 2007 case stems from his arrest on February 14, 2024, which occurred in the context of another separate and highly publicized case, related to the death of singer Rym Fikri’s husband.