Moroccan justice favors the extradition of Frenchman Sébastien Raoult to the United States
Paul Raoult, 63, the father of detained Sébastien Raoult, shows his son's portrait on his phone, in Epinal, eastern France, August 1, 2022. On Monday August 8, Morocco said it was in favor the extradition of Frenchman Sébastien Raoult to the United States.
AFP - JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Morocco's Court of Cassation has delivered a "favorable opinion" on the extradition to the United States of Frenchman Sébastien Raoult, suspected in a cybercrime case.
Advertising
Read more
This 21-year-old student is accused of cybercrime aimed in particular at American companies.
The United States has been calling for his extradition for months, accusing him of “electronic fraud” and “serious identity theft”.
His extradition can only be decided "by the Prime Minister" according to Rabat, but the decision of the Moroccan justice leaves little time for France to intervene in this affair, as requested by the family of Sébastien Raoult.
“
The victims are Americans, but the acts for which Sébastien Raoult is accused were allegedly committed on French soil
”.
His defense therefore relies on this basis to push the French authorities to intervene in this case.
On May 31, 2022, Sébastien Raoult was arrested at Rabat airport, as he was about to go to France.
His arrest comes a year after the issuance of the arrest warrant issued by the United States.
The same morning, five other French suspects also targeted by the American request were arrested.
Placed in custody, they will eventually be released on the grounds that they are French.
Sébastien Raoult remains behind bars in Morocco.
For his lawyer, Maître Philippe Ohayon, he was "sacrificed" by France, Paris, which affirmed on August 3, through its Minister of Justice, "
not having the possibility, at this stage, of 'to intervene.
»
Sébastien Raoult's father is asking for his extradition to France rather than the United States, where he risks, according to his lawyer, a 116-year prison sentence if convicted.
►
To read also Cybercrime: a Frenchman arrested in Morocco faces 116 years in prison in the United States
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
Morocco
Justice
United States
France