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Moroccan-Dutch Abderrahim El M., a former employee of the Dutch National Coordinator for Terrorism and Security (NCTV), is currently on trial in the Netherlands, accused of espionage for the Moroccan secret service. He has pleaded not guilty.
El M., who remained silent during interrogations by the Dutch Criminal Investigation Department, stated he was willing to provide a statement to the judge «behind closed doors», as reported by Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant on Monday. The newspaper added that El M. «does not feel safe» speaking to the National Criminal Investigation Department, partly due to concerns about his ability to adhere to confidentiality obligations.
In court, El M. mentioned that he has been documenting his story since his arrest. He claimed to have an «alternative scenario» to explain the accusations against him, which he intends to present to the court at a later stage. He also asserted that he had «never, ever violated» the trust of his employer, his colleagues, or the Dutch state.
El M.'s lawyer has requested that the court summon Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) head Erik Akerboom, Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) director Peter Reesink, and current Prime Minister Dick Schoof, the former terrorism coordinator, as witnesses. The judge will decide on this request in due course, de Volkskrant added.
El M., a resident of Rotterdam, was arrested in October 2023 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol while en route to Morocco. Investigators allege that he was carrying classified state documents in his luggage. The Dutch Prosecution Service suspects this was not his first trip to Morocco with such materials, alleging that the Moroccan intelligence service financed his hotel stays and flights.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, El M. allegedly had «120 confidential documents on various USB sticks, 65 of which contained state secrets». One of these files reportedly included an intelligence analysis by the AIVD on Moroccan intelligence activities in the Netherlands. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service claims that El M. was «a spy for Morocco».
Due to the gravity of the accusations, El M. will remain in pre-trial detention.
