A Moroccan, Youssef El A., suspected of spying on his compatriots in Germany, was arrested Wednesday at Frankfurt airport, according to the German federal prosecutor’s office.
He is accused of having monitored activists of Hirak, a Rif protest movement, since January 2022. Youssef is said to have collaborated with another Moroccan, Mohamed A., who was convicted in August 2023 for similar activities and would have received plane tickets in exchange for information intended for the Moroccan secret services.
Youssef El A. was apprehended in Spain on December 1, 2024 before his extradition to Germany. After his presentation before a judge, he was placed in pre-trial detention.
Furthermore, the Hirak movement, which emerged in 2016 after a tragic incident, demands development and an end to the marginalization of the region, leading to numerous arrests in Morocco.
Morocco
