Moroccan authorities deny involvement in espionage case

Moroccan authorities have denied any involvement with Youssef El A., a national detained in Germany on suspicion of espionage.

El A. was arrested on January 14 at Frankfurt airport and faces charges of spying on members of the protest group Al-Hirak al-Shaabi. The charges allege that he worked for Moroccan intelligence services to monitor supporters of the movement in Germany.

A Moroccan security official, speaking anonymously, refuted the allegations, describing El A. as a “radical activist” with a “hostile stance” toward the kingdom. The official confirmed that El A. had no connections to Moroccan intelligence and had never gathered information for them.

Instead, the source claimed El A. was one of the most radical figures in the Hirak movement, which advocates for separatism in the Rif region of northern Morocco. German prosecutors also revealed that El A. worked alongside Mohamed A., a man convicted of espionage in 2023 and sentenced to a suspended term.

El A.’s arrest follows an extradition from Spain, where he had been detained on December 1, 2024, under an EU arrest warrant. A German court has ordered him to remain in custody pending further proceedings.

The Hirak al-Shaabi movement began in 2016 following protests over the death of a fishmonger in the Rif region, sparking calls for greater development and justice. The movement has faced continued crackdowns, with many activists arrested.

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