Extremist group sentenced to 7 to 20 years in jail

The criminal chamber of the Appeal court of Casablanca handed down Friday jail terms ranging between 7 and 20 years for three members of the extremist group "Abdelghani Ben Taous," involved in the Casablanca terrorist attacks of May 16.

Leader of the group, Abdelghani Ben Taous, a high school professor of Islamic education, was sentenced to 20 years in jail, while Abderrahmane El Atchane, electrician and Rachid Ahariz, Teacher in a traditional Quranic School, got 10 and 7 years respectively.

Their attorneys had required their acquittal in the absence of any material evidence of their involvement in the case.

During the trial, the group denied the charges and said they had no link to the Assalafia Aljhadia extremist group involved in the Casablanca attacks.