Few individuals understand the intricate workings of the Moroccan majzén as well as Ali Lmrabet. A victim of Pegasus surveillance, Lmrabet has been barred from practicing journalism in his homeland due to the sensitive nature of his reporting, which often challenges the shadowy government of Rabat. On July 13, he was apprehended at the Tangier airport, a situation that escalated quickly, leading to a three-day detention before his eventual release. "I do not know why they let me go," he remarked upon returning to Spain, where he has resided for the past two decades.
Once back in his adopted country, Lmrabet recounted the details of his detention to _El Independiente_. He was acutely aware of the risks associated with traveling back to Morocco, prompting him to leave his personal phone behind to avoid potential confiscation. Despite his precautions, he flew to Tangier for official matters in his hometown of Tetuán, hopeful that his visit would be uneventful. Unfortunately, it was anything but.
"Upon my arrival, all hell broke loose," he recalled. During the passport control process, airport staff summoned a superior who informed him that multiple arrest warrants had been issued against him by Moroccan authorities. Initially, Lmrabet believed there were two or three warrants; he was shocked to learn there were actually ten.
Following the announcement of his arrest, uniformed officers placed him in a van, ostensibly to transfer him to the **Judicial Police of Tangier**. Lmrabet emphasized that this procedure adhered to legal protocols, but just before reaching their destination, the vehicle made a U-turn. "I was told that the airport police chief wanted to see me," he stated, marking the beginning of what he describes as a "kidnapping."
Claims of Mistreatment During Arrest
Upon returning to the airport, Lmrabet was escorted to an office where a man claiming to be the police chief informed him that he was no longer under arrest. In disbelief, Lmrabet was denied the return of his passport and led away by an unidentified individual. "This is significant because Moroccan law stipulates that every citizen must know who is arresting them and why," he clarified. The unknown man guided him to a secluded area near the airport entrance, where seven individuals awaited him alongside an unmarked van. Lmrabet refused to enter the vehicle unless those men revealed their identities. In response, he was roughly seized, and he recounts the assault: "I screamed at the top of my lungs, 'Ali Lmrabet, journalist,' and then I felt a sharp blow to my abdomen that left me gasping for air as they threw me inside the van.
"I was kidnapped by the hidden structure of the Moroccan kingdom," he asserted. Still unidentified and without any explanation for his arrest, he was handcuffed so tightly that he began to scream. Nearly two weeks have passed since that incident, yet Lmrabet still shows the marks left by the handcuffs on his wrist. During the journey from Tangier to Casablanca—at that time, he was oblivious to his actual destination—he was denied bathroom access and had to relieve himself in a plastic bottle.
The men holding him did not use their names; instead, they referred to each other as _hajj_, a title for those who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Lmrabet explained that this tactic is common among secret service agents to prevent detainees from learning their actual names. Although he could not confirm the identities of those men, he is unequivocal about who orchestrated the operation: "I was kidnapped by the hidden structure of the Moroccan kingdom."
A Call for Press Freedom Amidst a Police State
Lmrabet arrived at the **National Judicial Police Brigade in Casablanca** in the early hours of the morning, a unit focused on combating corruption, terrorism, and drug trafficking. It was only at this point that he learned he had traveled the 350 kilometers from Tangier to Morocco's economic capital. Once there, he was informed of his arrest due to "defamatory and insulting comments." Throughout his time in detention, public outcry surged, demanding his release. Lmrabet has lived in Spain for twenty years, and both his wife and children are Spanish nationals. However, when asked about Lmrabet's situation, Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares claimed ignorance of the case, an assertion that deeply angered Lmrabet. "That is a lie," he retorted, expressing skepticism about Albares' alleged unawareness, especially given the extensive media coverage surrounding his plight.
"Everyone in Spain knows that Pedro Sánchez and Albares are puppets of Morocco," he stated, accusing the government of maintaining "grandiloquent discourses on human rights" while remaining silent about Moroccan espionage against Spanish citizens. Lmrabet himself has fallen victim to Pegasus, revealing that his phone was compromised in February 2019. He compared Albares' approach to that of his predecessor, Arancha González Laya, who was ousted in July 2021 following a crisis related to the hosting of Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front, for COVID treatment. "Sánchez expelled her from the government because Morocco demanded it," he asserted.
Reflecting on his previous detention in 2003, he recalled that then-President José María Aznar insisted on his release from Moroccan authorities. This time, however, he doubts that anyone in the government intervened on his behalf. "Not at all. How can they intercede for me when they have abandoned the Sahrawis?" he asked. Although he believes the Sánchez administration did not help him, he is less certain about France's involvement, as he holds French citizenship. The same day he was released, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu arrived in Rabat for an official visit. "I do not know whether the French government intervened; the Spanish government certainly did not," he stated.
Lmrabet expressed gratitude for the outpouring of solidarity he received from individuals both within and outside Morocco. After three days of detention and two interrogations, the Moroccan authorities decided to release him. He now remembers other political prisoners who have not been as fortunate. "There is a Moroccan political prisoner named Mohamed Ziane, who is the son of a Spanish woman," he mentioned, referring to the former Moroccan minister that the Spanish government has seemingly abandoned.
Despite having a pending trial in Morocco for publishing content deemed defamatory and insulting towards individuals and institutions, Lmrabet intends to respond to the summons. Nonetheless, he criticized the Alawite authorities for prosecuting him in a country where he has been prohibited from practicing journalism. "I work as a journalist in Barcelona and possess a professional card from the College of Journalists of Catalonia. Why don't they file a complaint against me in Spain?" he questioned, noting that this was his first visit to Morocco in six years. "I can't go to a hotel because they plant microphones when I do, nor can I visit family, as they are summoned by the police the next day if I stay at their homes," he lamented.
Lmrabet denounced the Alawite kingdom's transformation into a "police state," all with the complicity of the West. Yet, he remains hopeful that the situation may one day improve. "I expect Morocco to realize that the World Cup is approaching, and it would be detrimental to their image to imprison innocent people," he concluded.
As reported by elindependiente.com.
