Trial Begins for Brussels Drug Torture Death of Moroccan Man

Prosecuted for torture resulting in death without intent to kill, rape and kidnapping, the accused appeared Thursday before the Brussels Assize Court. The case dates back to March 8, 2022, when the victim, Yacine El M’Rabet, was found unconscious on the sidewalk of rue des Visitandines, in the Marolles district of Brussels. The man in his forties was seriously injured. Iron marks were visible on his stomach and chest, and his skin was torn off. Rushed to the hospital, he died half an hour later, reports La Libre.

Yacine was burned with ammonia and an iron on his genitals, the autopsy reveals. The forty-year-old was known as a cocaine user and dealer in his neighborhood. He stored the drug in his apartment, on the 8th floor of a public housing tower, a dealing place for two very active gangs at the time. The first, specializing in cannabis sales, was allegedly led by Ahmed Battouti’s uncle, residing in Morocco. The young man was said to be one of the network’s leaders. The second criminal organization is active in cocaine trafficking.

According to some witnesses, close to Yacine, he allegedly heated a closed box containing cocaine to inhale the smoke, destroying the merchandise he was supposed to keep. Unable to pay this debt, he had to suffer retaliation from his bosses. At the end of June 2022, the two accused and four "managers" of the first gang were arrested for the murder of Yacine M’Rabet, which occurred two months earlier.

During the trial, Michaël Pindeville admitted to torturing the victim and inflicting burns with an iron and ammonia. He also acknowledged taking the body down to the street. As for Ahmed El Battouti, he confessed to marking Yacine with an iron for destroying the cocaine in the safe. The four "managers" benefited from a dismissal.