7 days ago
In Morocco, score-settling follows a former spy chief's escape abroad
An internal power struggle within Morocco's intelligence services has taken on both political and judicial overtones in recent weeks, with international ramifications. Mehdi Hijaouy, a former high-ranking official within Morocco's foreign intelligence service (DGED), was forced into exile to escape criminal prosecution that was threatened by some of his colleagues within the kingdom's security apparatus. Subject to an international arrest warrant for "fraud" and for facilitating "illegal emigration," Hijaouy is now in hiding abroad, while his family and associates have faced reprisals in Morocco.
His French lawyers, William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth, have sought to have the arrest warrant against him canceled by Interpol, arguing that Hijaouy is being prosecuted as part of a "strictly political procedure based on a judicial setup." Their application is about to be submitted to the international criminal police organization. "Mr. Hijaouy is in danger and needs protection," said Bourdon and Brengarth.
52 years old, Hijaouy reportedly served from 1993 to 2014 within the DGED, notably heading the Service Action training center – although Moroccan media close to the government claim that he was "dismissed from the DGED in 2010" and describe him as a "fake expert and a real fraud." After moving into strategic consulting, he wrote articles for Moroccan media – including some of those now attacking him, such as Hespress – on the concept of "security intelligence."
