Morocco repatriates six citizens from Somalia after more than two years in detention
In a statement, the families thanked Moroccan authorities and everyone who helped secure the men’s return from what they described as harsh conditions during their detention abroad.
Tuesday May 12, 2026
After more than two years in detention in Somalia, six Moroccan nationals have finally made it home, their return marking the end of a long and closely watched ordeal, according to their families and the Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees.
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The men arrived in Morocco last week and were then held in police custody at the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations in Salé for questioning over the circumstances of their detention in Somalia’s Puntland State region.
Relatives said the six had already been acquitted by Somali courts, but when they landed at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Moroccan authorities took them into custody as part of the continuing investigation.
In a statement, the families thanked Moroccan authorities and everyone who helped secure the men’s return from what they described as harsh conditions during their detention abroad.
They said the repatriation underscored the state’s duty toward its citizens and urged that the matter be handled with further humanitarian consideration so it can be brought to a close.
The families argued that the Somali acquittals, together with the lengthy detention and difficult prison conditions, should lead to the men’s immediate release once questioning is completed.
Abderrahim Ghazali, spokesperson for the Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees, said political conditions in Puntland State had complicated the men’s return even after they were cleared on appeal.
He said repeated advocacy efforts, along with Moroccan diplomatic intervention, helped pave the way for their repatriation through connecting flights via Ethiopia and Egypt.
The committee praised Moroccan authorities for bringing the men back and said it hoped they would be freed once the investigations are finished.
In early 2024, a Somali court sentenced the six Moroccans to death by firing squad after accusing them of trying to destabilize Somali society and spread disorder in the country.
Those rulings were later overturned on appeal, and the men were acquitted, according to their families and defense supporters.
