Court rejects provisional release of two Moroccan ex-Guantanamo detainees

The criminal chamber of the Appellate Court of Rabat rejected, on Monday, a request for the provisional release of two of the five Moroccans, that were detained in the American base of Guantanamo.

Provisional release was granted last Monday to three of them, namely Redouan. C, 32, Abdellah. T, 49, and Mohamed. O, 29.

The five men were handed over to Morocco last August by American authorities after they were arrested by the US military in Afghanistan.

The appellate court also decided on Monday to postpone hearing of this case to allow lawyers of the defendants prepare for the case.

The five former Guantanamo detainees are facing charges of "belonging to a criminal band, non-denunciation of a crime harming state security, assistance to a criminal band by transferring money to Moroccans with the aim of creating a gang that threatens Morocco's interests and participation in the forging of a passport."