The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in Germany has charged Moroccan citizen Youssef El Asrouti with espionage, accusing him of collecting information on members of the «Hirak Rif» movement «for the benefit of the Moroccan External Intelligence Service, the General Directorate of Studies and Documentation». According to the prosecutor's statement, El Asrouti acted in coordination with another individual, Mohamed A., who received instructions from the Moroccan Intelligence Service and subsequently transferred the collected information. Mohamed A. was previously sentenced in 2023 by the Düsseldorf Court to a suspended prison term of one year and nine months. El Asrouti was arrested in Spain on December 1, 2024, under a European arrest warrant, before being handed over to German authorities on January 15, 2025. A federal court judge in Germany then ordered his detention. The German prosecutor did not disclose further details about the nature of the information gathered but indicated that the alleged espionage activities began in January 2022. Following El Asrouti's extradition to Germany, Moroccan authorities denied any connection to him. A Moroccan security source described him as a radical activist residing in Europe who has engaged in various anti-Moroccan activities. He is also an active member of the «Republican Movement», which brings together Hirak Rif activists in Europe. According to the same source, El Asrouti has taken strong stances against the Kingdom of Morocco and publicly called for the independence of the Rif region. Although not of Rif origin himself, El Asrouti closely collaborated with Jaber El Ghadoui, known as «Yuba», a prominent figure in the Düsseldorf-based «Rif Nationalists» party. Under Yuba's influence, El Asrouti reportedly participated in projects that Moroccan authorities describe as subversive. His activities intensified after an attempted deportation from Germany in 2018. At that time, he was imprisoned due to his illegal residency. Despite submitting an asylum application, it was denied, leading to deportation proceedings. However, a violent confrontation at the airport prevented his deportation to Morocco. After being expelled from Germany in May 2018, El Asrouti settled in the Netherlands, where he filed a new asylum application, claiming persecution by Moroccan authorities due to his activism. He also published a letter announcing his renunciation of Moroccan citizenship and his disavowal of allegiance to King Mohammed VI, a move seen as an attempt to secure political refugee status.
