Each year on the feast of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI grants pardons to some of those being held in the country’s prisons. This year Abdelkader Belliraj, a man with dual Moroccan/Belgian nationality, was among the 1,533 to be granted a pardon by Morocco’s Head of State. 30 of those released were serving time for offences contacted to extremist ideology or terrorism.
Moroccan King grants Eid al-Fitr pardon to man once suspected of 6 murders in Belgium
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Abdelkader Belliraj was given sentence in Morocco for having led a terrorist network and for 6 murders committed in Belgium. In 2022 his sentence was reduced to 25 years.
In Belgium Abdelkader Belliraj was suspected of 6 politically-motivated murders committed in the 1980s. However, the statute of limitations for his case in Belgium passed in 2020 and as such he can no longer be prosecuted here for the murders allegedly committed 4 decades ago. On the those killed was the then Chair of the Coordinating Centre for Jewish Organisations in Belgium Dr Joseph Wybran.
The Ghent (East Flanders) layere that represents Mr Belliraj, Abderrahim Lahlali, describes his release as having come out of the blue.
“My client was informed of the decision to pardon him at 11pm yesterday. At midnight, he was allowed to leave prison". Although Monday’s decision was a surprise, Mr Lahlali added that an early release was in line with expectations as Abdelkader Belliraj he had his sentence reduced.
Never charged in Belgium
Abdelkader Belliraj has never been charged with any offence in Belgium. “Sufficient evidence to charge him wasn’t found and the case was closed at the request of the public prosecutor”, Mr Lahlali said. It is still unclear whether Abdelkader Belliraj will return to Belgium.
In the past, Mr Belliraj has worked as an informant for the Belgian State Security Service. It is allegedly thanks to him, an attack in a European country was foiled. The State Security Service has never admitted that Mr Belliraj worked for them.