Trial Continues for 13 Accused in Brutal 2019 Kidnapping and Death of Belgian-Moroccan Man

On Tuesday, the time came to broadcast the images of the reconstruction of Hilal Makhtout’s kidnapping. At the stand, the key witness Roberto G. was rather tight-lipped in the afternoon, while the images shown during the reconstruction of the events that took place in Makhtout’s garage show a man adopting a contrary position. Roberto G.’s behavior is justified by the fact that he has probably been under pressure.

During the reconstruction, Amine A., the main accused among the 13 men on trial for torturing and murdering Hilal Makhtout, showed how he had tried to revive the victim by first placing him under the shower, then drying him after placing him along the radiator. Not to mention rubbing the muscles of the thirty-year-old to warm them up. According to another accused, Mikail Y., the victim was already dead and Amine A., a close friend of the victim "was playing the lead role in a fictional film."

The facts date back to March 9, 2019. That day, Hilal Makhtout had been kidnapped from his home in Limburg by a group of five individuals who suspected him of having stolen a cargo of three kilos of cocaine. For three days, he was beaten, burned and suffered atrocious suffering. On March 12, the young man succumbed to his injuries. His torturers then transported his mutilated body to the Forzée guesthouse.