The Court of First Instance in Tetouan issued prison sentences on Monday to five individuals charged with inciting illegal immigration, following a mass attempt by migrants to storm into Ceuta from Fnideq on September 15.
Two of the convicted were sentenced to six months in prison, while the other three received three-month sentences. These five defendants are part of a group of 152 individuals brought to justice in connection with calls to participate in mass illegal immigration attempts towards the occupied enclave of Ceuta.
The verdict for thirteen other defendants, including Algerians and sub-Saharan African nationals, has been postponed to September 30.
Lawyers appointed by the Tetouan Bar Association defended the accused, who were prosecuted for inciting illegal immigration and intrusion into the fences surrounding Ceuta during the incidents of September 15.
In a related development, authorities arrested a woman suspected to be Algerian for inciting illegal immigration and making false statements to the press. Another Algerian national was arrested for inciting migrants to attack the border wall of the occupied enclave. The individual admitted to the charges during interrogation.
Security forces thwarted a massive assault by illegal migrants on the occupied enclave of Ceuta during the night of Saturday, September 14 to Sunday, September 15. Neighboring regions witnessed scenes of back-and-forth between public forces and groups of irregular migrants who had responded to calls launched on social media.
This campaign, accompanied by slogans such as “Rendezvous on 15/9” and “15/9 Fnideq – Ceuta,” attracted hundreds of young people and teenagers from various Moroccan cities, as well as individuals from Maghreb countries, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite reinforced security measures, sweeping operations, preventive arrests, and the establishment of checkpoints on main roads leading to the North, as well as vehicle searches and checks on suspicious individuals at stations, large groups of migrants managed to reach the city of Fnideq, neighboring Ceuta.
On September 15, more than 400 migrants breached all barriers set up by law enforcement, successfully reaching the border with Ceuta. This time, they attempted to reach the enclave via the land fence rather than by sea. Incidents, stone-throwing, and clashes occurred.