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Ya Biladi
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Somali authorities reassure families as 6 Moroccans await repatriation after acquittal
Following recent statements from the families of Moroccan nationals who were sentenced to death and later acquitted for joining ISIS, Somali authorities have moved to reassure them about the possibility of their return to Morocco. «Officials visited us at the Garoowe detention center. They assured us that we've been cleared by the justice system. Essentially, we could be repatriated at any moment, once the Moroccan side provides documents verifying our identities», said one of the individuals involved in a voice message sent Tuesday through his family. The six Moroccan nationals had their passports confiscated while in ISIS-controlled territory. After receiving death sentences from a Puntland military court at first instance, they were later acquitted on appeal. They have since been transferred to the administration under the Somali Ministry of Justice to facilitate their repatriation. A previous repatriation attempt reportedly failed due to insufficient identity documentation. According to one detainee, Somali officials said the group could be repatriated «unconditionally, even within 24 hours, or transferred to an international organization», as long as identity documents are supplied. In Morocco, the families of the detainees have submitted letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the National Human Rights Council (CNDH). In Spain, relatives of Ahmed N., one of the six men, told Yabiladi they had contacted the Moroccan consulate in Seville, which has since forwarded the request to Rabat and is awaiting further updates.
Ya Biladi
24-07-2025
- Ya Biladi
Lured into ISIS territory, acquitted Moroccans remain stuck in Somalia
Ahmed N. lives in Spain with his entire Moroccan family, his father, brothers, and sisters. But everything changed when he embarked on a trip to Turkey and ended up following a group of individuals who promised him a well-paying job. As the journey progressed, he realized he was getting pulled into something much harder to escape. Eventually, he found himself in Somalia, in the hands of ISIS. «We had all built our lives in Spain», his sister Najat told Yabiladi. «At one point, he wanted to return to Morocco to invest, but the challenges he faced pushed him to come back here. Then he went to Turkey, met people who promised to help him. He had no idea he'd end up in an area controlled by terrorist groups in Somalia». Since last year, Najat has been fighting to get her brother out of prison. Initially, the military court in Puntland sentenced him and five other Moroccan nationals to death for allegedly joining ISIS in Somalia. According to the initial judgment, the six had joined a base in the Cal-Miskaat Mountains in northeastern Somalia. Documents presented in court and reviewed by Yabiladi show that some of the Moroccan nationals arrived in Somalia after passing through Turkey and Ethiopia. At Cal Miskaat, they were said to have received training in ISIS camps, learning to handle light weapons like the AK-47. However, they eventually tried to abandon the process and escape from the group. Ahmed, who traveled from Spain via Turkey, was reportedly not involved in any military training, according to his family. His relatives and the court maintain that he was «misled into believing he could invest in agriculture» in Somalia. Once he realized he was in an ISIS-controlled zone, he found himself unable to turn back. «He reached out to the Red Crescent and local authorities on his own, and was handed over to the army. He wasn't captured during a confrontation, he surrendered voluntarily. He never considered himself part of ISIS; in fact, he saw himself as a deserter once he understood the terrorist nature of the project», Najat told us. In March 2024, several Moroccan NGOs denounced the initial verdict. Among them were the Moroccan Coalition Against the Death Penalty (CMCPM), the Association for a Fair Trial, and the Network of Lawyers Against the Death Penalty. They called on Moroccan authorities to intervene and ensure the repatriation of the six nationals. On appeal, the defense presented evidence supporting their claims, including the absence of confessions and the fact that they had tried to flee ISIS. The court took these elements into account under the provisions of the Somali Penal Code. To Ahmed's supporters, «the evidence showed that these men were victims of human trafficking». «They were lured to Somalia with promises of good jobs. Once they realized ISIS wanted to recruit them, they ran and voluntarily turned themselves in to the Puntland State police, a clear sign they rejected the group», sources close to the case told Yabiladi. In May, the Puntland military appeals court overturned the death sentences and declared all six men not guilty. The court also acknowledged that «these individuals were misled and trafficked» and, more importantly, that «they surrendered voluntarily to authorities». When they turned themselves in, they were «unarmed and there was no indication they had ever taken part in any terrorist activity… rather, they sought protection», the same sources added. The court ordered their release and initiated procedures for their return home. They were handed over to the Constitutional Affairs Administration under Somalia's Ministry of Justice to facilitate their repatriation to Morocco. «Ahmed even told us that they were in the process of being repatriated, but apparently things got held up because of inaccurate information about one of the five other Moroccans», Najat said. A Complicated Repatriation While in detention, the six men were visited by a delegation from the Puntland Parliament. During a meeting at the Garoowe prison, lawmakers were briefed on the status of detainees charged with serious crimes. Despite being cleared by the appeals court, the six men remain in «administrative detention for security reasons». According to Yabiladi's sources, «their situation is still unresolved due to a lack of diplomatic or humanitarian coordination». «Even with the court's decision, repatriation remains stalled because of logistical and political challenges. All six had their passports and ID documents confiscated by ISIS, leaving them without any valid paperwork for travel», the sources said. The political landscape in Somalia further complicates matters. The case falls under the jurisdiction of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region with its own legal and security systems, operating independently since 1998. Tensions between Puntland and the federal government in Mogadishu have made coordination with foreign embassies difficult. Moreover, «Morocco does not have a diplomatic presence in Puntland», which adds another layer of complexity, the same sources said. Back in Morocco, the families of the other detainees have reached out to various authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the National Human Rights Council (CNDH). In Spain, Ahmed's family is represented by Guillermo Santana, a lawyer with the Seville Bar Association, who is also advocating on the case. Speaking to Yabiladi, Santana explained that «numerous letters have been exchanged with Moroccan authorities, including consular services in the Spanish region, in an effort to secure repatriation». «We've received a positive response from the Moroccan side, which forwarded our requests to Rabat. We're hopeful that they will follow through», he said. However, repatriation may not mean full exoneration. Once back in Morocco, the six nationals could face investigations due to their presence in a conflict zone controlled by a terrorist group. In the meantime, their families continue to worry about the poor detention conditions, «scarce food and constant psychological pressure», and are hoping above all for the safe return of their loved ones.
Global News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Global News
In first for Canada, woman convicted for ‘family support' role in ISIS
A Montreal woman was handed a one-day sentence on Monday after admitting she traveled to Syria in 2014 to join the Islamic State. Oumaima Chouay is the first of several Canadian women who were captured in Syria during the war against ISIS to be convicted of terrorism. Chouay admitted to participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The Crown dismissed three other terrorism charges against her. She must serve a single day in custody, in addition to the 110 days she was held before trial. She will also be on probation for three years. 'Ms. Chouay is the first person convicted for providing support to a terrorist entity through family support as a spouse,' the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said in a statement. The sentence reflected her steps 'to demonstrate remorse, take responsibility, commit to fundamental change and a rejection of extremist ideology,' said Public Prosecution director George Dolhai. Story continues below advertisement 3:16 ISIS resurgence fuelled by youth recruitment In a joint statement of facts, Chouay said she left Canada for Turkey in October 2014 and crossed into Syria with the aim of joining ISIS. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Less than a month later, she married Dominic Alexander Reitz, a German citizen 'who was also a member of the Islamic State,' according to the document. She initially lived in Mosul, Iraq, where ISIS gave her a house. Her husband also received an allowance from the terrorist group. On Feb. 2, 2015, Chouay made the ISIS flag her Facebook profile picture. She then changed it to a photo of a woman in a niqab handling a firearm. Around this time, she reconnected on Facebook with her Canadian friends and confided that she was living in ISIS-controlled territory. Story continues below advertisement She told them she had 'no intention of returning to a country of kuffars,' according to the statement, using the Arabic term for non-believers and infidels. Chouay then moved to Tel Afar, Iraq, where ISIS gave her a new home that had been taken from Shiites, who opposed the Islamic State. Just over a year after joining ISIS, Chouay gave birth to her first child with Reitz. She returned to Mosul and then returned to Syria. As ISIS began to lose ground to Kurdish fighters backed by an international coalition, Chouay told her mother she wanted to leave, the document said. 2:55 How an Edmonton couple allegedly left Canada to join ISIS She was captured by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in November 2017 after trying to flee ISIS territory. She then gave birth to a second child. The Canadian government flew her home in October 2022. Story continues below advertisement She was arrested upon her arrival and charged with four terrorism offences. Two other women brought back to Canada from camps for ISIS captives, B.C. resident Kimberly Polman and Ontario's Ammara Ahmad, have also been charged and are awaiting trial. The rest have not been charged, although most were placed on terrorism peace bonds that imposed restrictions on them in the name of public safety. The preamble of the joint statement of facts in the case described what it called the 'distinct' role women played in ISIS before its collapse in Syria in 2019. While men joined 'with the goal of becoming fighters,' women were expected to take part in security, defense, fundraising and propaganda, it said. 'One of the main roles of women in the caliphate, generally described by the Islamic State as supporting their fighting husbands, is to ensure and maintain morality and religious faith at home, as well as to raise and educate their children under the values of the Islamic State in order to create the next generation of fighters,' the statement said. 'The presence of women in the territories conquered by the Islamic State also allows this terrorist group to increase its capacity to recruit men. The contribution of women is essential to achieve the ultimate goal of this terrorist group: to create an Islamic state.' Story continues below advertisement
Shafaq News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
KRG: No forced returns for displaced Iraqis
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) reiterated its opposition to the forced return of internally displaced persons, especially to former ISIS-controlled areas. Dindar Zebari, the KRG Coordinator for International Advocacy, announced during the Conference on Missing Persons in the Middle East and North Africa that 'the people of Kurdistan have borne the brunt of atrocities—from the notorious Anfal campaign to the crimes committed by ISIS against Yazidis and other minorities,' reaffirming the KRG's deep commitment to uncovering the fate of the missing and ensuring accountability for crimes of enforced disappearance. Zebari recalled the disappearance of over 182,000 civilians during the Anfal operations, including 8,000 Barzani men, noting that the remains of victims have been recovered from 75 mass graves across Iraq, with 3,659 victims identified and returned to their families. The KRG has worked to rescue victims of ISIS. Out of 6,417 documented cases of Yazidi abductions, 3,587 individuals have been freed, while 2,830 remain missing. The official backed international recommendations on addressing enforced disappearances, including criminalization, investigative reforms, and better protections for vulnerable groups—measures already incorporated into the region's 2021–2025 Human Rights Action Plan focused on justice and survivor support. He also called on the international community to fulfill its humanitarian responsibilities and provide the technical, financial, and logistical support needed to accelerate investigations into enforced disappearances. Zebari highlighted cooperation with the United Nations Investigative Team (UNITAD), which led to the preservation and digitization of more than 408,000 pages of investigative files—documents he described as essential for future legal proceedings against ISIS perpetrators. He pointed to the KRG's rehabilitation and support initiatives, including the Psychological Treatment Institute in Duhok, a center documenting genocide-related sexual crimes, and a facility dedicated to assisting liberated women. 'These institutions have collectively provided psychological and legal support to over 1,278 survivors,' Zebari pointed out. He also showcased the KRG's use of advanced forensic tools, including DNA analysis, as a vital means of identifying remains and offering closure to victims' families.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Didn't violate any bail condition': SC upholds Delhi HC order on man booked under UAPA for 'sympathising' with ISIS
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Delhi high court order granting bail to a man booked under the stringent anti-terror UAPA law for allegedly sympathising with the terrorist group ISIS. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said the accused Ammar Abdul Rahiman did not violate any of the bail conditions. No instances were brought on record to show Rahiman violated the bail conditions, it added. The bench also noted the accused was arrested on August 4, 2021, and the trial was yet to conclude. "Prosecution proposes to examine more than 160 witnesses, out of whom 44 have been examined till now. Conclusion of the trial will take some reasonable time. Respondent was released on bail after spending about three years in custody as an undertrial," news agency PTI quoted the bench as saying. The judges observed the accused regularly appeared in the trial court and did not attempt to obstruct the ongoing trial. "We see no reason to cancel the bail granted to the respondent," their order read. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), accepted Rahiman cooperated in the investigation and regularly appeared in the trial court. Bhati, however, objected to his plea to apply for the passport to travel abroad till the trial was pending. The bench restrained the accused from foreign travel while the trial is pending, and without their permission. On May 6 last year, the Delhi high court granted bail to Rahiman. A high court bench observed the material on record did not suggest commission of offences under Section 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) or 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The NIA alleged Rahiman was "highly radicalised" towards ISIS and allegedly entered into criminal conspiracy with known and unknown ISIS members for undertaking "Hijrah" (religious migration) to Jammu and Kashmir and other ISIS-controlled territory to join the group for "establishment of Caliphate" and to carry out its activities in India.
