Council of State greenlights extradition of 30-year-old Moroccan man believed to be an ISIS member
The Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court, on Wednesday approved the extradition of a 30-year-old Moroccan man who is believed to be a member of the ISIS terrorist group.
The man was arrested in Thessaloniki in July 2021 after a red alert was issued by Interpol and an arrest warrant by a Moroccan prosecutor, charging him with the formation of a criminal organization and carrying out terrorist activities, among other offenses.
The Council of Appeals in Thessaloniki and the Supreme Court favored his extradition, as according to the Supreme Court there was no evidence to substantiate the validity of the man’s claims, who had said that his human rights were at stake in Morocco and that he will not have a fair trial there.
On January 1, 2023, the Greek justice minister signed off on his extradition.
But the man appealed his case anew, this time to the Supreme Court, requesting that the ministerial decision be voided and alleging that he was an ISIS member only in name and that he never committed the crimes with which he was charged.
In its decision, the Supreme Court noted that the man never appeared before them in person, did not have an ID or passport issued by Moroccan authorities, did not have a Greek stay permit or asylum seeker documents, while no notarial deed of power of attorney was presented to his lawyer, despite the relevant deadline given to the latter.
[AMNA]
