Morocco threatens to suspend extradition deal with Spain

Morocco's Justice Minister, Abdellatif Ouahbi, has threatened to suspend the bilateral extradition agreement with Spain, citing significant difficulties in receiving individuals that Morocco seeks to have extradited. The minister stated that his department is evaluating the suspension of the agreement due to what he described as the "ineffectiveness" of the process for Morocco.

Ouahbi explained that the decision stems from specific extradition requests where Moroccan authorities believe Spanish procedures have not been fully completed. The 2009 bilateral convention, which entered into force in 2012, allows for the reciprocal extradition of wanted or convicted persons found in the territory of the other country, with exceptions for citizens. However, Ouahbi indicated that the mechanism frequently stalls after a suspect is arrested and identified in Spain.

"When Rabat sends agents to take custody of the wanted person, the procedure ends up getting stuck, and the handover ultimately does not happen," Ouahbi told the Spanish news agency Efe. He deemed the agreement "useless" under these circumstances, leading to the consideration of its suspension.

This potential suspension occurs at a sensitive time, as both countries are working to manage migration flows towards the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. The issue is further complicated by ongoing tensions regarding the repatriation of Moroccan minors present in Ceuta. Ouahbi described these cases as "extremely complex and highly politicized," suggesting that some matters involving Morocco are increasingly influenced by political and electoral considerations rather than purely legal and administrative ones.

The situation is also framed by differing legal stances on the death penalty. Morocco retains capital punishment in its penal code, though it has not been carried out since 1993. Spain abolished the death penalty in 1978. The possibility that a requested individual might face a death sentence in Morocco can also be a factor that blocks extradition.