In a heartbreaking, goosebump-inducing video, the mother of former Moroccan player Abdellatif Akhrif begged Algeria to return her son’s body.
In an unbearably sad viral video, Abdellatif Akhrif’s mother implores the Algerian authorities for the return of her son’s body. At the beginning of July, the former Ittihad Tangier winger disappeared on the high seas, off the coast of M’diq (North of Morocco) during a yacht trip with four teammates.
On August 8, the Moroccan press reported that the player’s lifeless body was found by the Algerian navy near Oran, about 425km to the east, after his family had resigned themselves to his disappearance. Akhrif was then officially declared dead, at the age of 24.
But since then, according to several sources, mostly Moroccan, Algeria would drag its feet to return the remains – not to say refuse or even literally confiscate them, according to more radical versions. Accusations brought by a wave of anger, outraged by what is presented as inhuman reprisals following diplomatic differences with Morocco.
Akhrif’s mother’s pleas
“Alhamdulillah, I submitted to the divine decree, but my heart bleeds at not being able to kiss my son’s grave one last time. I beg my Algerian Muslim brothers to return the body of my child to me”sobs Akhrif’s mother, inconsolable.
“By retaining the body of Abdellatif Akhrif, who do we want to punish? And what message do we want to send? That of superiority? (…) This attitude is the exact opposite of the values of Islam. Let’s release him so his family can mourn with dignity.”criticized Mourad Eladditioni, the president of the Lawyers’ Club in Morocco.
However, these claims, if these allegations are confirmed against Algeria, take on the air of preaching in the desert. Always in the eyes of Moroccans, who cite several precedents as examples.
