The situation surrounding Mehdi Hijaouy is becoming increasingly precarious. Since his defection from Morocco in 2024, this 53-year-old spy has taken with him disturbing secrets regarding the Makhzen—the intricate web of power surrounding the Moroccan royal palace—along with his family and professional networks. Hijaouy has held significant positions within Morocco's formidable security apparatus, and his flight has sparked a series of legal troubles for those associated with him.
Between March 2025 and February 2026, a staggering 42 individuals faced investigations, prosecutions, and convictions for crimes ranging from "fraud" to "aiding a fugitive criminal." Among them, Hijaouy's ex-wife received a three-year prison sentence in 2025 and is scheduled for a retrial in June. The list of those implicated includes the brother of the prince's security chief, Moulay Hassan, and several police commissioners. Meanwhile, Hijaouy remains in hiding, navigating the perilous landscape of his past.
Building the Case Against Hijaouy
As summer 2024 unfolded, the Franco-Moroccan reconciliation shifted the dynamics dramatically for Hijaouy. With French President Emmanuel Macron officially recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara—an issue at the heart of a decades-long territorial dispute between Algeria and Morocco—the former royal spy found his days in Paris numbered. The renewed diplomatic ties marked the end of a significant crisis that had begun three years earlier when it was discovered that Hijaouy had accessed Macron's phone number through the Israeli Pegasus spyware, which had been made available to Moroccan authorities by the United Arab Emirates.
For Hijaouy, a former senior official at the Moroccan Directorate General for Studies and Documentation (DGED), this warming of relations spelled trouble. Surveillance around him and his family intensified, with former colleagues hot on his trail. On September 10, his wife, Sarra, filed a report at a police station in Paris, detailing their harassment, a claim supported by photographs of their pursuers taken in various locations. As a high-profile defector, he became a target of significant interest, with the Moroccan government assembling a comprehensive case against him, accusing him of various crimes including "fraud," "aiding illegal immigration," and "belonging to a criminal organization." An international arrest warrant was issued through Interpol in September 2024, escalating the urgency of his situation.
Hijaouy fled Paris for Madrid, where Moroccan authorities quickly sought his extradition. An Spanish judge confiscated his passport, requiring him to report to the police while awaiting a hearing on his fate. During a meeting with Spain's National Intelligence Center (CNI), Hijaouy realized he was likely to be handed over to Rabat. Choosing to evade capture, he vanished, taking with him crucial information about the underhanded dealings within the Moroccan royal court, which posed a threat to the security apparatus that sought to silence him.
From Loyal Servant to Target
Mehdi Hijaouy has long been a loyal servant of the Moroccan monarchy, rising through the ranks to become a notable figure within the DGED. His career took a controversial turn five years ago when he publicly supported the Azaitar brothers—MMA fighters who were close to King Mohammed VI. Their prominence in the king's inner circle was perceived as toxic by the monarchy's institutional advisors, leading to a media campaign aimed at discrediting them. This backlash only served to strengthen Hijaouy's resolve, as he continued to advocate for their recognition within the realm of security training for the Moroccan elite.
In December 2021, Hijaouy directly communicated with the king, presenting a White Paper aimed at reforming the kingdom's intelligence services. This initiative, however, was viewed as a direct challenge to the royal court’s hierarchy and stirred rumors regarding potential clan wars within the palace as the king’s health continued to decline. Hijaouy's actions were interpreted as either a desperate bid for relevance or a strategic play for power in a post-Mohammed VI Morocco.
Born in Germany to a father who served as a military attaché and a nephew of a Moroccan colonel killed in the Yom Kippur War, Hijaouy entered the DGED in 1994, where he honed his skills as a spy. His career included training with the Mossad and involvement in covert operations across Europe, where he often operated outside the conventional bounds of diplomatic conduct in pursuit of Morocco's strategic interests, particularly concerning the contentious issue of Western Sahara.
As the Moroccan authorities seek to diminish Hijaouy’s status and portray him as a mere marginal figure, many experts argue that he was indeed a key player in the DGED. His alleged connections to corrupt practices and dealings with questionable entrepreneurs have been amplified in the media. His legal representative, William Bourdon, insists that these allegations are politically motivated and that Hijaouy’s calls for reform within the security apparatus have drawn the ire of high-ranking officials. The fallout from Hijaouy's defection continues to reverberate through the Moroccan power structure, with implications for both national security and the future of the monarchy itself.
As reported by lalibre.be.
