Ali Aarrass is Moroccan-Belgian citizen who was imprisoned in Morocco on charges of terrorism. [1] [2]
He was first arrested in Spain in late 2008 and accused of arms smuggling but was acquitted of these charges there. However Spain extradited him to Morocco in December 2010. [3] [4] According to reports, in addition to the unfair trial, Aarrass was subjected to torture and degrading treatment while imprisoned in Morocco. [4]
In November 2011, Abdelkader Chentouf the Moroccan anti-terrorism judge, [5] sentenced Aarrass to 12 years in prison on the basis of confessions obtained under torture. His imprisonment was the focus of a long campaign by human rights groups and other international NGOs, as well as the Belgium-based "Free Ali" committee. [6] He was released on 2 April 2020, [7] and was reunited with his sister in Melilla before being repatriated to Belgium. [6]
Ali Aarrass is Moroccan-Belgian citizen who was imprisoned in Morocco on charges of terrorism. [1] [2]
He was first arrested in Spain in late 2008 and accused of arms smuggling but was acquitted of these charges there. However Spain extradited him to Morocco in December 2010. [3] [4] According to reports, in addition to the unfair trial, Aarrass was subjected to torture and degrading treatment while imprisoned in Morocco. [4]
In November 2011, Abdelkader Chentouf the Moroccan anti-terrorism judge, [5] sentenced Aarrass to 12 years in prison on the basis of confessions obtained under torture. His imprisonment was the focus of a long campaign by human rights groups and other international NGOs, as well as the Belgium-based "Free Ali" committee. [6] He was released on 2 April 2020, [7] and was reunited with his sister in Melilla before being repatriated to Belgium. [6]