Morocco’s court to have its final say on the Imlil killings’ suspects

The trial of the 24 suspects involved in the murder of two Scandinavian tourists in the Atlas Mountains will have its final hearing, Thursday, in Salé.

The judges will be pronouncing their final say against the three main suspects, accused of slaughtering the two women in their camping tent near the Toubkal Mountain, and the 21 others.

The suspects, including a Swiss-Spanish national, are standing trial over the charges of «setting up a gang to prepare and commit terrorist acts, deliberately putting the life of people in danger, possession of firearms and attempted manufacture of explosives in violation of the law, as part of a collective project aimed at seriously undermining public order».

During a previous hearing held, July 11, the mother of one of the two victims Helle Petersen said in a letter read by her lawyer that «was destroyed the moment that two policemen came to [her] door on December 17th to announce [her] daughter's death».

In her letter, the mother said that «the most just thing would be to give these beasts the death penalty they deserve, I ask that of you».

The Moroccan prosecutor in the Sale Appeal court sought death sentence for the three main suspects, accused of murdering two Scandinavian tourists.

The prosecutor demanded life imprisonment for the fourth suspect, who said that he was not with the three men on the day of the attack. He also demanded sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years in prison 20 other suspects tried in the case.

For the record, two of the main suspects admitted in a previous hearing that they beheaded Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway while a third one said that he filmed the act.