Conviction and Sentencing of Abderrahim El M.
A Rotterdam court has handed down a conviction to Abderrahim El M., sentencing him to 20 months in prison for mishandling state secrets. Although the Public Prosecution Service (OM) had sought a much harsher penalty of 12 years, alleging that the former analyst for the counterterrorism agency NCTV had engaged in espionage and leaked sensitive information to Morocco over a period of years, the court found insufficient evidence to support these serious claims. Consequently, the 66-year-old was acquitted of espionage charges in a ruling that was reported by ANP.
El M.'s professional background includes extensive experience at the NCTV, where he served as an expert on Salafism and jihadism, frequently producing reports on these critical subjects for the agency. The OM alleged that throughout his tenure, he acted as an informant for the Moroccan secret service, exploiting the trust placed in him by Dutch authorities to disseminate a significant volume of classified information. In a notable incident in 2023, the intelligence service AIVD apprehended El M. while he was printing confidential documents at his workplace. His arrest occurred at Schiphol Airport, just prior to his departure to Morocco, during which authorities discovered multiple USB drives in his possession, containing over 900 classified documents.
Defense and Court's Findings
During his closing statement in court, El M. firmly rejected the allegations, labeling the accusations against him as “absurd.” He emotionally insisted that he had never disclosed state secrets, stating, “I did what I had to do for the Netherlands. I’m extremely proud of that. Together with my colleagues, I kept the country safe.” While El M. admitted to possessing numerous work-related documents at home, he attributed this to a tendency to collect and “hoard” materials. His defense attorney urged the court to acquit him, arguing that the evidence presented was insufficient and highlighting the significant role El M. had played at the NCTV throughout his career.
In its ruling, the court acknowledged that although El M. was not authorized to take state secrets home, and his interactions with Moroccan secret service agents raised valid concerns, there was no definitive evidence to confirm that he had transferred state secrets or had any intention to do so. The presiding judge noted, “The crucial link in the evidence is missing.” Ultimately, the court determined that El M.'s mishandling of state secrets warranted a 20-month prison sentence, which corresponds to the duration he had already spent in pre-trial detention. The judge emphasized the irresponsible manner in which El M. had treated sensitive documents, which were found scattered throughout his home, despite clear regulations prohibiting the removal of state secrets from the office environment.
As reported by nltimes.nl.
