Two Dutch Citizens Sentenced to Death in Morocco

Over the years, we have been posting and translating articles relative to the Moroccan Mafia in the Netherlands. The head of the Moroccan Mafia, Ridouan Taghi, is currently under trial in the Netherlands since his capture in Dubai in 2019. Taghi has also been linked to the 2021  murder of prominent Dutch crime journalist, Peter R. de Vries.

This week in Marrakech, Morocco, two men who hold Dutch passports were sentenced to death for a murder carried out in that city in 2017. That murder is also linked back to Taghi.

The below article from today's Telegraaf (Netherlands) is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/99223594/twee-nederlanders-veroordeeld-tot-doodstraf-in-marokko

Two Dutch citizens sentenced to death in Morocco

by John Van Den Heuvel

Posted today 14:10 Updated today 15:00 in Domestic

Marrakech- The criminal court in Morocco has sentenced two Dutch citizens to death for a mistaken murder in the La Creme cafe in Marrakech in November 2017. The two, Shardyone S. (31) and Edwin R. M. (27), were hired to murder an arch-rival of Ridouan Taghi in Marrakech, but accidentally shot the son of a high-ranking Moroccan lawyer dead.

Caption: Police conducting investigation at La Creme cafe in Marrakech

The intended victim was the Moroccan-Dutchman, Mustapha el F., alias Moes, who shortly before the attack, changed seats and thus, escaped death. The Moroccan court also sentenced a number of other Moroccans with Dutch passports to long prison terms from 6-20 years.

A cousin of Taghi, Jouad F., was sentenced to 6 years for his involvement in the murder, and two of Taghi's brothers have received long prison terms for their role in the mistaken killing.

Death sentence

Shardyone S. and Edwin R.M. were sentenced to death in the first instance (initial trial). The evidence against them is strong. Due to their striking Rastafarian hairstyles, they were under surveillance by Moroccan security police since their arrival and arrested shortly after the attack. 

Although they denied everything in the trial they decided after the conviction to cooperate with the Moroccan police and share information about the background of the attacks.

Edwin R.M. said that Taghi was behind the attack and was also involved in the murder of a younger brother of R.M. The two Dutch perpetrators of the mistaken murder hoped through their cooperation to get a lighter sentence. After their arrest, they said they knew of a hitlist where the name of Peter R. de Vries came up.

Death cells

Despite the cooperation of the two, the court ruled harshly this week as to the Dutch citizens and their fellow perpetrators. The death sentence has serious consequences. In the case of a life sentence, the convicted (men) could have appealed to a treaty that made it possible to serve the sentence in the Netherlands.

Now that the death sentence has been pronounced, that possibility is gone. S. and R.M. are sitting under poor conditions in death cells measuring less than two meters by two meters. They sleep on the floor, but the cell is so small, they have to lie down diagonally.

They have since appealed to a higher court, but according to a jurist familiar with Moroccan law, once a death sentence is pronounced, it is seldom reviewed. One bright spot is that since 1993, the (death) penalty has not been carried out. The (Dutch) Foreign Ministry has provided consular assistance to all the Dutch citizens concerned in this legal case.