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6d ago

Trial Opens in Düsseldorf for Alleged Moroccan Spy Monitoring Hirak Activists

The court has scheduled eight hearings through early September to review evidence that he spied for Morocco’s foreign intelligence since 2022.

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Vor dem Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf hat der Prozess gegen einen mutmaßlichen marokkanischen Spion begonnen. Der 32 Jahre alte Youssef El A. soll seit Anfang 2022 Anhänger der oppositionellen marokkanischen Hirak-Protestbewegung ausgespäht haben.

Overview

  • The trial of 32-year-old Youssef El A began Friday at the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf on charges of espionage.
  • German federal prosecutors allege he tracked supporters of the Moroccan Hirak reform movement in Germany from early 2022.
  • Authorities say he collaborated with Mohamed A, who received a year and nine months of probation in August 2023 for similar surveillance work.
  • El A was arrested in Spain in December 2024, extradited to Germany, and has been held in pretrial detention since January.
  • This prosecution follows recent high-profile trials of suspected Chinese and Russian agents, reflecting Berlin’s broader effort to counter foreign intelligence operations on its soil.