A Moroccan national seeks 1.8 m Euros in compensation over false terrorism charges

Farid Hilali, a Moroccan national who has been accused of being an al-Qaida member, is seeking 1.8 million Euros in compensation after being jailed wrongly for five years, reports the Guardian on Monday.

According to El Pais, Hilali filed a complaint against the Spanish and the British authorities in December 2017 for accusing him of transmitting messages to an al-Qaida cell leader connected to the New York 9/11 attacks.

In fact, the Moroccan national was detained in the UK after being arrested in 2004 following a European arrest warrant (EAW) issued by Spain. In 2012, the case was dropped as the Spanish court stated that they could not prove Hilali is an al-Qaida member.

«I want to put Spain and the UK on the spot. I was accused of killing nearly 3,000 Americans and both sides knew there was no evidence,» the 49-year-old man told the Guardian.

Hilali was released in 2009 and had to move to Spain where he lives currently with his wife. According to the same source, the Moroccan national had to register daily at a police station was not able to work.

«My life is ruined. My wife and I suffered a lot. No money can give me back my life but I don’t want something like this to happen to anyone else, whether they be from the UK or wherever,» he said. 

If his compensation request gets rejected, Hilali promised to take his case to the European court of Human Rights. 

For the record, Hilali was first arrested in 1999 in the United Arab Emirates and was subjected to torture by an individual who claimed representing the British government. Hilali was rendered to Morocco after getting back to the UK.