In a landmark ruling, the D\u00fcsseldorf court in Germany has convicted Moroccan national Youssef Al Asrouti<\/strong> on charges of espionage against Rif activists in Europe, carried out on behalf of the Moroccan intelligence services. The decision is being hailed as a crucial step in protecting civil liberties and addressing foreign interference within the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Rif National Party (PNR)<\/strong>, in an official declaration obtained by our newsroom, welcomed the verdict, describing it as \u201can affirmation of the seriousness and independence of the German judiciary in defending rights and freedoms.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The party strongly condemned what it called \u201cillegal practices\u201d<\/em> by the Moroccan regime, warning that the surveillance and intimidation of European citizens of Rif origin constituted \u201can intolerable violation not only of fundamental rights but also of the sovereignty and security of European states.\u201d<\/em> The declaration also recalled the infamous Ben Barka affair<\/strong>, pointing to a long history of repression and extraterritorial persecution by Moroccan authorities. The party argued that the latest case merely confirms Morocco\u2019s repressive nature and its readiness to target political opponents abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Rif National Party urged European governments and institutions to launch thorough investigations into Morocco\u2019s repeated attempts to interfere in the Union\u2019s internal affairs. These, it said, include \u201cthe politicization of places of worship, exerting pressure on diaspora communities, and engaging in corrupt practices with political officials.\u201d<\/em> The party held the Moroccan authorities fully responsible for any harm that might befall its activists, both in Europe and in the Rif region, reaffirming its commitment to defending \u201cthe legitimate rights of the Rif people\u201d<\/em> and to denouncing what it described as \u201cMorocco\u2019s illegal annexation of the Rif.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Observers note that the ruling could have repercussions beyond Germany, potentially prompting a reassessment of the European Union\u2019s approach to cooperation with Morocco on sensitive issues such as migration, security, and trade. If similar espionage activities are confirmed elsewhere, Brussels may face growing pressure to adopt a tougher stance toward Rabat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a landmark ruling, the D\u00fcsseldorf court in Germany has convicted Moroccan national Youssef Al Asrouti on charges of espionage against Rif activists in Europe, carried out on behalf of the Moroccan intelligence services. The decision is being hailed as a crucial step in protecting civil liberties and addressing foreign interference within the European Union. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","iawp_total_views":5,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13414"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13416,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13414\/revisions\/13416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Violation of European Sovereignty<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
According to the statement, \u201cthe attempt by a foreign regime to intimidate and monitor citizens on European soil is unacceptable and requires a clear and firm response.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nA Repressive Pattern<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Call for EU Investigations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The statement further warned that Morocco has become \u201can unreliable actor whose methods resemble those of a lawless regime, now posing a threat to European democratic stability.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nBeyond a Single Case<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Broader Implications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n