20 years later, a Moroccan fears he will never be freed in Iraq

After being convicted of terrorism in Iraq, imprisoned and serving his 20-year prison sentence, a Moroccan detainee has still not regained his freedom. Abdelaziz Bakkali, president of the National Coordination of Families of Moroccans Blocked and Detained in Syria and Iraq, is calling on Moroccan authorities to intervene to speed up his return to Morocco.

The family of Adnane Sahman, a Moroccan convicted of terrorism and imprisoned in Iraqi prisons, is dying to see him again. Arrested on May 13, 2004, this native of Casablanca was sentenced to 20 years in prison. According to his family, he should have been released on May 13, but he is still being held in an Iraqi prison. This information was confirmed by Abdelaziz Bakkali, president of the National Coordination of Families of Moroccans Blocked and Detained in Syria and Iraq. He asked the Moroccan authorities, and in particular the Moroccan embassy in Baghdad, to intervene to speed up Sahman’s return to his country. But these authorities have not been able to do so so far. In a statement to Alyaoum24Bakkali said the embassy claims to be having difficulty communicating with Iraqi officials. He added that Adnane’s last phone call to his sister was a month ago. The detainee told him he feared he would not be released.