HIBAPRESS – Mohammed Zerouih
Yesterday, Thursday, the Preliminary Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Nador issued a judgment of 20 years imprisonment against a defendant in a case related to organizing and facilitating irregular immigration, in a heavy file where criminal responsibility is mixed with a human tragedy that left behind victims and families living the bitterness of loss.
In the civil aspect, the court ordered the defendant to pay 50 million centimes in civil compensation to the civil claimants. This ruling brings the case back to the forefront, given the seriousness of the facts related to secret immigration journeys and their potential tragic consequences.
The details of the case go back to the activity of a network suspected of being involved in organizing irregular immigration trips in exchange for financial sums, under risky conditions, which ended with the death of a number of people from the provinces of Nador and Driouch, including children from Driouch, Ben Tayeb, Tiztoutine, and other areas in these provinces. The hopes of reaching the other shore turned into a tragedy that left a deep impact on the souls of the victims' families.
This judicial ruling raises urgent questions about ways to confront networks that exploit the aspirations of youth for a better future, at a time when irregular immigration remains one of the most painful issues in the region. Between judicial deterrence and the social and economic reality, the problem of providing real alternatives for youth emerges, so that the journeys in search of hope do not continue to turn into life-threatening adventures.
