Delay in Soulaïman Raïssouni's Trial Due to Defendant’s Repeated Requests for Postponement (Prosecutor)

The delay in the trial of Soulaïman Raïssouni is due to the defendant himself, who each time requests the postponement for different reasons, said Tuesday the King’s Attorney General at the Casablanca Appeal Court.

“Contrary to the allegations spread through some social media and electronic websites regarding the delay in the trial of Soulaïman Raïssouni, it is the accused himself who is responsible for it by requesting each time the postponement for different reasons, sometimes to prepare defense and sometimes because of his health condition”, the Attorney General pointed out in a statement.

As part of the monitoring of the health condition of the defendant, the Public Prosecutor’s Office instructed one of its magistrates to go to the prison on June 14, 2021, noting that the latter contacted him, consulted his medical record and received a report from the prison’s doctor revealing that his health condition is normal and enables him to continue his trial without prejudice to the rights of the defense, the source added.

Although the Court has put in place all the necessary guarantees both for the defendant and for his defense in order to ensure the conditions of a fair trial, the person concerned abstained on Tuesday from attending his hearing, of which he had been notified, the Attorney General underlined.

Faced with the persistence of the person concerned to miss the hearing, the Court has decided to grant him a stay to appear before the court in order to continue the proceedings of his trial or face law enforcement action. It was therefore decided to postpone the hearing until June 22, 2021, the statement concluded.