Seddik Errais, a Dutch national of Moroccan descent from Maastricht, remains incarcerated in Morocco four years after he was acquitted in the high-profile shooting incident at Café La Crème in Marrakech. Despite his acquittal, which was delivered on January 4, 2022, by the criminal chamber of the Court of Appeal in Marrakech, Errais continues to assert his innocence while his legal saga unfolds further complications.
The shooting at Café La Crème occurred on November 2, 2017, when two masked assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on the terrace, targeting the café's owner. Tragically, Hamza Chaib, a 26-year-old medical student with no connection to the ongoing feud, was killed in the attack, and two other individuals sustained injuries. Errais was initially suspected of acting as a coordinator for the attackers, a claim he has vehemently denied.
Prior to his involvement in the Moroccan case, Errais was already serving time in Spain for a cocaine trafficking charge. He was extradited to Morocco in 2019, where he faced serious accusations, including complicity in premeditated murder, attempted murder, and membership in an organized criminal gang. The prosecution alleged that he served as a middleman between the masterminds of the attack and those tasked with executing it. However, during his acquittal, the court ruled that his friendship with one of the alleged masterminds was insufficient to establish his involvement in the crime.
Legal Proceedings Continue After Acquittal
Despite his acquittal, the case surrounding the shooting at Café La Crème has not been laid to rest. The legal proceedings have experienced multiple twists and turns within Moroccan judicial circles, leading to interventions from the Court of Cassation and a renewed examination of the case in Casablanca. Most recently, in January 2026, the Casablanca Court of Appeal issued a new ruling concerning various individuals implicated in the case.
Recent reports from Dutch media have shed new light on Errais's personal situation, indicating that he has now been sentenced and remains behind bars. He is reportedly detained in one of Morocco's most secure prisons, sharing space with individuals convicted of terrorism and other serious crimes. In total, Errais has spent nearly nine years incarcerated, first in Spain and now in Morocco, though this duration includes time served for drug trafficking before his extradition.
From his prison cell, Errais reflects on his ordeal, expressing exhaustion and confusion about his circumstances. "My tears are exhausted, and so am I. What have I done?" he laments, reiterating his claims of having no knowledge of any plot to commit an attack. This raises substantial questions in the Netherlands regarding the sequence of judicial decisions concerning his case. Though initially acquitted in 2022 due to a lack of sufficient evidence to link him to the attack, he now faces renewed condemnation as the case continues to evolve.
As reported by bladi.net.
