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The families of six Moroccan men sentenced to death in Somalia are pleading with the Moroccan government to urgently bring them home. It has been over a year since a military court in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, ordered their execution and deportation for allegedly being members of the Islamic State (ISIS).
On March 2, 2024, a military tribunal in the city of Bosaso sentenced the six men to death by firing squad and told Somali authorities to deport them within 18 months. However, the men are still being held in prison in Garowe, and there is no clear plan for their return to Morocco.
On May 19, the families submitted a formal complaint to Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They called the continued detention a violation of justice and asked for urgent intervention. The families claim the men were tricked into traveling to Somalia with promises of work but were later falsely accused of terrorism.
One of the detainees recently sent an audio message to a Moroccan news outlet, saying they had been framed and had no ties to ISIS or any armed group. He said they were misled by the people who helped arrange their journey.
The families say their sons were simply looking for a better future. “Our sons came here for work,” one family member said. “Instead, they were wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to death without a fair trial.”
Confusion around the case has grown after new developments in Puntland. On May 14, the same court that sentenced the Moroccan men announced it had released six foreign ISIS defectors—some from Ethiopia and Morocco—who had surrendered to Somali forces. These individuals were handed over to Puntland’s Justice Ministry for repatriation. But the court did not say whether any of those released were among the six sentenced to death earlier, leaving the families in fear and uncertainty.
The case has drawn attention from human rights organizations, which have raised concerns about how Somalia handles terrorism-related cases, especially those involving foreigners. Critics say the court system lacks transparency and fairness, especially since military courts are often used instead of civilian ones, and defendants may not get proper legal representation.
Puntland has been battling ISIS-linked groups in the region, especially in the mountainous areas of Bari. Dozens of suspected militants have been arrested and tried over the past few years. However, international observers have warned that the justice system may not always follow fair legal procedures.
The families of the six Moroccan men continue to ask their government and the public to take action before it’s too late. They fear that without pressure and support, their sons could be executed in a foreign prison without ever having received a fair trial.
For now, the six men remain behind bars in Somalia, their fate still uncertain. Their families hope that with growing attention and diplomatic efforts, the Moroccan government will help bring them home safely.