In theory, the killers could face the death penalty, but Morocco has had a de facto freeze on executions since 1993. The trial opened on May 2 but was adjourned to May 16 and then paused again after a brief hearing. A separate video published in the initial aftermath of the murders showed the alleged killers pledging allegiance to Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The only foreigner among the defendants is Spanish-Swiss 25-year-old Kevin Zoller Guervos, who moved to Morocco after converting to Islam. The others come from modest backgrounds, scraping by on odd jobs and living in neglected areas of Marrakesh, the North African kingdom’s main tourist city.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 30, 2019 14:03 UTC