Swiss national arrested in connection with murders in Morocco

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ers-in-morocco

The latest suspect arrested in Marrakech is described as a Swiss national who also holds Spanish citizenship. I imagine he is of Moroccan, or Muslim, heritage. He has been accused of providing technical communications and firearms training and logistic assistance to the primary suspects. The man is also accused of spearheading radicalisation activities to lure Moroccan nationals and sub-Saharan migrants to join their cell.

This brings the total under arrest to 19—the four primary suspects, nine more on 20-21 Dec, then another five more, and then the Swiss/Spanish suspect.

The first hearing of the four primary suspects in the Scandinavian murders is due to be held in Rabat on Monday, 31 December.

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In what now looks like an unconnected crime, a woman's decapitated body was found Friday28 Dec in the Middle Atlas region. The location has been described as the Oued Ifrane rural community located between Ifrane and Azrou, however I suspect it might actually be Zaouia Ifrane which is off the N8 main road between Azrou and M'rirt.

The victim is reported to be a 24-year old divorcee and police are searching for a 38-year old suspect who is a shepherd and has since disappeared. But if it was a 'simple' murder, why was the woman decapitated? Was this to try to throw the police off the scent, was it in a rage of hatred? Very worrying.

Worrying indeed Tim, especially when you take into account the latest high profile rape cases. Yes, tourists weren't attacked, but I see no problem lone male or female/s carrying personal attack alarms now.


Use to many yrs ago, and all over the world, perhaps as travel becomes easier, we're becoming blase.

As fighters are displaced from Syria and Iraq it's to be expected they will pop up in other parts of the world, perhaps their countries of origin or just where they see the opportunity to gather support. Be careful out there, countries that were safe in the past may not be so safe now.

Tim
Am afraid chopping off women's heads in the course of a homicide is more common then u would think. The ones I dealt with were done by Sihks and Hindus, none of them had anything to do with terrorism.
Thinking of my travels around India, it happened there Alot too........... Its a sad world I'm afraid

I'm getting a lot of 'lets all stay at home where we think it is safe vibe' coming out of here. After a few years, my understanding is that the internet knows nothing of a really good adventure, wherever.



This is a travel forum where we are required to give good informed information on travel safety.


No preaching please. Information is useful but opinion needs to be stated and recognised as such.

I haven't seen anyone suggesting we stay at home. Being safe is another matter.

And I welcome any information coming out of here that helps us all keep travelling safely.

I read this today.

A Moroccan appeals court has upheld death sentences against three Moroccan men for murdering two Scandinavian women in the Atlas mountains last December.

A fourth man was also handed capital punishment after he was sentenced to life in prison by an anti-terrorism court on July 18th. The other three were handed death sentences at the time.

Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (24), from Denmark, and Maren Ueland (28), from Norway, were killed in their tent near the Moroccan village of Imlil, a popular hiking destination.

The anti-terrorism court in Sale, near Rabat, had heard that the men had pledged allegiance to Islamic State in a video days before the murder.

Two of them - Abdessamad Ejjoud and Youness Ouziyad - had told the court they had decapitated the women, while the third - Rachid Afatti - said he filmed the killing and posted the footage online.

The fourth man, Abderrahmane Khiali, said he was part of the group but left before the murders.

Twenty other people who prosecutors said had links to the killers were sentenced to between five and 30 years for forming a criminal gang to commit terrorist acts, encouraging terrorism, undermining public order and other crimes.

Although capital punishment is legal in Morocco, the country has had a freeze on executions since 1993.