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Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for leading one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations, Belgian-Moroccan Abdelkader Belliraj had his sentence reduced to 25 years in 2022. He is among 33 inmates convicted in extremism-related cases who received a royal pardon on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.
Belliraj was released from the Oudaya prison in Marrakech. He is one of 33 detainees pardoned for terrorism and extremism-related charges, out of a total of 1,533 prisoners who benefited from royal clemency. The Ministry of Justice stated that these detainees had expressed their commitment to the «fundamental principles and sacred values of the Nation and national institutions», officially renouncing extremism and terrorism.
The Belliraj case first made headlines in 2008 when Chakib Benmoussa, then Minister of the Interior, announced the dismantling of what was described as «one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations recently neutralized». Thirty-five men were arrested. However, the defense and several human rights organizations challenged the allegations, arguing that no criminal acts had been attributed to them since at least 2001.
Belliraj and several co-defendants claimed they were held in secret and forced to sign false confessions under torture. These statements served as the main evidence against them during their trial. In 2009, the court of first instance found them all guilty, a verdict upheld on appeal in 2010. The sentences ranged from suspended prison terms to life imprisonment.
Since 2012, several royal pardons have been granted to Belliraj’s co-defendants, including political figures and a journalist. Some were released for health reasons, while others had served their sentences. Until his recent release, Belliraj remained one of the last convicts still behind bars.
