The Moroccan government has presented a new law criminalizing those seeking out training camps with the intent of committing terrorist acts. With hundreds of Moroccans going to Syria and Iraq to join extremist groups, Morocco is expressing increasing concern about the number of its citizens joining groups like ISIS.
The new law, that will go before parliament in October, will penalize those convicted of seeking out training camps with five to 15 years in prison and fines of between 50 000 MAD and 500 000 MAD.
The draft law was presented by the government on Thursday. It will also allow the government to charge Moroccans engaged in terrorist activity abroad.
An estimated 1200 Moroccans are fighting with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, making Moroccans the largest North African group in ISIS after Tunisians.
Morocco has already dismantled dozens of recruitment networks over the past year. Those were aimed at recruiting Moroccans and sending them to Syria or Iraq to fight with ISIS.
The Moroccan Times.
