Morocco drops proceedings against Spanish activist Helena Maleno

The Tangier court has abandoned proceedings against Spanish activist Helena Maleno, who had been accused of having alleged links with people traffickers, report Spanish daily El Mundo.   

«The Moroccan court has stated that there is no evidence against Maleno», Walking Borders’s spokesperson, who is Helena Maleno herself, said in a statement.

Soy Helena Maleno, defensora de Derechos Humanos, y... ¡la justicia marroquí ha archivado la causa penal contra mí! Victoria para el #DerechoAlaVida. pic.twitter.com/d3dlaY2vpZ

— Helena Maleno Garzón (@HelenaMaleno) 11 mars 2019

In a video published following the court’s decision, the Spanish activist said that she «trusts the judicial system of Morocco, that [she] considers as [her] second country». «We won this battle, at a time when defending migrants’ rights is criminalized around the world, especially in Europe», she added.

For the record, the Spanish activist’s case made headlines in December 2017, when Spanish NGO Oxfam Intermon said that the charges against Maleno were dropped in Spain.

In fact, the NGO warned against the fact that the Moroccan court was not informed about Maleno’s case being dropped in Spain, urging the Spanish embassy in the Kingdom to find a solution.

Spanish police accused Maleno of having alleged links with illegal immigration networks.