Dutch prosecution appeals the acquittal of an officer accused of spying for Morocco

On Wednesday, the Dutch prosecutor's office appealed first instance ruling against Abderrahim El M., who was recently cleared of espionage charges for Morocco, his homeland, calling for a twelve-year prison sentence. The 66-year-old former analyst had been with the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) since 2005, before falling under suspicion of collaborating with Moroccan intelligence. Initially, the prosecution had sought a twelve-year prison term.

Ultimately, Abderrahim El M. was only sentenced to twenty months behind bars for illegally possessing classified State documents. The justice system particularly criticized him for taking sensitive information home. Cited by Dutch media, the prosecutor's office deemed this sentence «too lenient».

«The suspect should have been more aware than anyone of how to handle classified documents and falsely claims the authorization of several high-ranking NCTV officials,» stated the authority. Meanwhile, El M. has consistently denied the espionage allegations.