Italy considers extradition of Moroccan activist wanted by Casablanca court

Moroccan activist Driss Farhan, 59, has been arrested in Italy and is currently held at the Brescia prison, according to Italian news agency Ansa on Thursday. The arrest follows an arrest warrant issued by the Casablanca court.

Morocco requested Farhan's extradition a year ago on charges of attempted illegal immigration. However, his family and lawyer claim this is a pretext to silence him. Farhan, who has lived in Italy for over 30 years, runs a website «critical of corruption and wrongdoing in his home country», the same source reported.

His lawyer, Lorenzo Cinquepalmi, argues that the extradition request is politically motivated and targets Farhan for his activism and journalism.

Last year, the Court of Appeal in Brescia rejected Morocco's extradition request based on concerns it aimed to punish Farhan for his opinions. Cinquepalmi emphasizes that Italian law requires justification for the arrest and extradition request within 40 days, which Morocco allegedly failed to do.