The lawyer of Sebastien Raoulta French student arrested in Morocco and claimed by American justice for cybercriminalitytold AFP that he had seized the UN Committee once morest Torture on Wednesday, fearing his imminent extradition to the United States.
According to Me Philippe Ohayon, a prison guard notified and translated the decree ofextradition to Sébastien Raoult on Monday in his cell. The Moroccan, French and American authorities did not wish to confirm this information to AFP.
The Court of Cassation of Morocco issued in August a “favorable opinion” on the extradition of Sébastien Raoult and the final decision on his transfer rests with the Moroccan Prime Minister.
Accused of conspiracy
The 21-year-old former computer science student was arrested on May 31 in Tangier (northern Morocco) on the basis of a red notice issued by Interpol at the request of American justice, when he was preparing to take the plane to return to France.
He is accused by American justice of conspiracy to commit electronic fraud and abuse, serious identity theft and of being a member of the “ShinyHunters”, a group of “cybercriminals” suspected by Americans of being behind cyberattacks on the Internet. companies, which he disputes.
Me Ohayon seized the Committee once morest torture to suspend this transfer, relying on “several extraditions granted in recent years by Morocco” and which have been blocked by this UN body. “The Committee considers that Moroccan law does not allow sufficient control once morest the risk of inhuman and degrading treatment,” the lawyer told AFP.
Me Ohayon asks the Committee “to adopt the same position as the European Court of Human Rights according to which there can be no extradition when the person incurs a real life sentence, i.e. until his death, without diplomatic guarantees of a possible sentence adjustment,” he added. The lawyer stresses that “despite 116 years of prison incurred (in the United States), the Moroccan authorities did not ask for and obtain these guarantees”.
In his request consulted by AFP, Me Ohayon also asks Morocco to suspend the extradition of Sébastien Raoult until the Committee decides and to release him.
“Five consular visits”
Contacted, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which did not confirm the existence of this extradition decree, assured that the Frenchman had received “five consular visits since his incarceration which made it possible to ascertain his conditions of detention, his state of health and respect for the rights of the defence”.
Me Ohayon and Paul Raoult, the father of the student, multiplied the steps with the French authorities in order to have him extradited to France so that he might be tried there. Without success so far.
