Court resumes trial of 31 Salafia Jihadia members

The Casablanca court of appeal resumed Friday hearing in the case of 31 alleged members of the so-called "Salafia Jihadia" extremist group.

The court rejected all the defense requests to separate the suspects' cases from the main case and to summon some Ulema (Islamic scholars), experts and police officers as witnesses. The court also rejected a request to re-examine the case of Mustapha Lakrimi, who is serving a 30 year jail sentence.

The defense says it made the request for fear that the defendants stand trial twice for the same charges.

The court, nevertheless, accepted to hear from eyewitnesses after the hearing. The trial is scheduled to resume this Friday afternoon.

The group members are sued for conspiracy, murder with premeditation, mutilation and dissimulation of bodies and murder attempt by gun, unlicensed possession of guns and ammunitions, possession and use of knives and teargas grenades.

Other counts include robbery, kidnapping, sequestration, use of false administrative documents, falsification of number plates, arson, complicity and usurpation of identity and position.

The first hearing in the case took place on June 25 after one year of investigation.