The Moroccan Organization for the Support of Political Detainees has called on Moroccan authorities to release Egyptian-Turkish citizen Abdelbaset al-Imam and to annul his extradition to Egypt. In a statement, the organization expressed «great concern over the case of Egyptian-Turkish citizen Abdelbaset al-Imam, who was detained at Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca on Sunday, November 3, 2024, under an extradition warrant issued by the Egyptian authorities». «According to our information, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Egypt due to his political opposition to the ruling regime, and his son was one of the victims of the Rabaa massacre in Cairo during the summer of 2013. This background makes his extradition to Egypt a measure that poses a serious risk to his safety and contradicts Morocco's legal and humanitarian obligations|, wrote the group also known as Himam. Al-Imam's case is expected to be reviewed by the Court of Cassation to assess the extradition request. The organization voiced «serious concerns that his extradition could result in violations of his fundamental rights» and warned of «severe risks to his personal safety, given documented abuses in similar cases and the repression faced by dissidents in Egypt». Additionally, the Egyptian Adalah Foundation for Human Rights and the International Federation for Human Rights issued a joint statement urging the release of al-Imam, who entered Casablanca airport on a Turkish passport. They urged Moroccan authorities to «either allow him entry into Morocco or facilitate his return to Turkey, where he holds citizenship».
