Casablanca taxi driver arrested in assault case involving Russian diplomat

A judge at the Casablanca Court of Appeals ordered on Monday evening a taxi driver to be held at Ain Sebaa Prison Oukacha, while three other drivers were released. The case involves an assault on a ride-hailing app driver who was transporting a Russian diplomat and his wife over the weekend.

The suspects appeared before the Public Prosecutor at Ain Sebaa Criminal Court of First Instance on Sunday. After hearing witness testimonies, the case was sent back to the judicial police for further investigation, according to Hespress AR sources.

Sources indicated that the professionals had been expecting the suspects to be prosecuted without detention. However, at 4:00 PM, the Public Prosecutor at the First Instance Court unexpectedly referred the case to the Court of Appeals, citing jurisdiction.

On Monday evening, the suspects appeared before the Public Prosecutor at the Casablanca Court of Appeals, who referred the case to an investigative judge and to press charges against them.

The accused driver, “Jamaa A.B.”, was followed up and arrested, following the incident that “caused panic for the diplomat on des Forces Armées Royales Avenue in Casablanca.”

According to Hespress sources, the Russian embassy became involved in the case, with officials attending court to follow the proceedings. This came after the diplomat insisted on pressing charges against those who detained and threatened him in a car in front of the hotel.

The sources also pointed out that the incident brought back memories of the “vigilante justice” sometimes carried out by certain taxi drivers, underscoring the need to regulate ride-hailing app services.

Moustapha Al Kihel, the representative of the taxi drivers’ union, said the witnesses interviewed by the Public Prosecutor in this case “told us that the tourist’s account was false, and that when the judicial police went to the hotel, they found no evidence of detention or assault.”

He went on to say, “if there was an assault, the videos showing it should be presented. We remain neutral as long as the case is in court, where the evidence will determine the outcome.”

Al Kihel told Hespress that the unions “are calling for a thorough investigation into the case and for the owner of the car who provided the illegal ride to the tourist to be brought in.”

He continued, “as unions, we protest and condemn what happened in this situation, especially since the Interior Minister’s directive, which urged local officials to hold anyone involved in tech-based transportation accountable, was not enforced.”

The spokesperson stressed that “this ministerial directive should be enforced,” adding, “as professionals, we welcome ride-hailing apps for taxis, but there are issues that need to be addressed instead of putting professionals at risk of prosecution and arrest for illegal rides.”

After reaffirming the strong ties between Morocco and Russia and their commitment to protecting the rights of Russian citizens, the union representative called on the Interior Minister to “instruct governors and local officials to post warning notices in hotels, letting guests know that this type of transportation is illegal and encouraging them not to use it.”