Six Moroccans Return Home After Acquittal in Somalia ISIS Case

CASABLANCA, Morocco — Six Moroccan nationals acquitted by courts in Somalia’s Puntland State returned home last week after spending more than two years in detention, relatives and rights advocates said Monday.

The men arrived at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca before being taken into custody by Moroccan authorities for questioning over the circumstances surrounding their travel to Somalia and subsequent detention, according to family members and campaign groups.

The group was transferred to the headquarters of Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations in Salé, where authorities are conducting what relatives described as routine inquiries.

Their return was facilitated through Moroccan diplomatic efforts, with transit arranged via Ethiopia and Egypt, the Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees said.

The six Moroccans were arrested in early 2024 in the Cal Miskaad mountain range, where Puntland security authorities alleged they were attempting to join ISIS militants operating in the mountains.

A military court in the port city of Bosaso sentenced the men to death by firing squad in March 2024, but the convictions were later overturned on appeal, and the defendants were acquitted of all charges by Somali courts.

Families of the men insist they had travelled to Somalia after being deceived with promises of employment opportunities and deny any links to militant organisations.

“Their legal status is clear; they were acquitted by the Somali judiciary,” said Abderrahim Ghazali, spokesperson for the joint committee supporting the detainees.

In a statement, relatives thanked Moroccan authorities for securing the men’s return from what they described as difficult detention conditions abroad.

Rights groups have urged Moroccan authorities to release the six men after questioning is completed, citing the length of their detention in Somalia and the impact on their families.

GAROWE ONLINE