The Rotterdam court has requested to hear Moroccan intelligence chief Yassine Mansouri as a witness in the trial of Abderrahim El M., a former Dutch security official accused of «leaking state secrets» to Morocco. El M., who denies all charges, remains in pre-trial detention and insists he has «never, ever violated» the trust of the Dutch state. The trial of Moroccan-Dutch Abderrahim El M., a former employee of the Dutch National Coordinator for Terrorism and Security (NCTV) accused of «espionage for the Moroccan secret services», is taking a remarkable turn. The Rotterdam court, currently handling the case, has requested to hear Yassine Mansouri, head of Morocco's foreign intelligence service, the Directorate General of Studies and Documentation (DGED), as a witness. The decision was justified by the Public Prosecution Service, which alleged that El M., arrested in 2023 for leaking state secrets, had «direct contact with Mansouri», Dutch daily NRC reported on Wednesday. The court had previously ordered the questioning of four Moroccan intelligence officers alleged to have «received classified documents» from El M. It has now emerged that Mansouri is among these key figures, the same source added. A «hopeless» request, according to experts Still, the court's request is seen as «completely hopeless», according to Dutch experts. Morocco expert Paolo de Mas told NRC it was «very striking» that the former NCTV officer allegedly had conversations with Mansouri. Moreover, de Mas warned that this move could strain relations and «have repercussions for ties between the Netherlands and Morocco». According to NRC, when asked whether and why El M. may have had contact with the Moroccan foreign intelligence chief, his lawyer, Bart Nooitgedagt, declined to comment. «We are not making any statements about any witnesses we might hear». For the record, El M., a Rotterdam resident, was arrested in October 2023 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol while en route to Morocco. Investigators allege he was carrying classified state documents in his luggage. The Dutch Prosecution Service further suspects this was not his first trip with such materials, alleging that Moroccan intelligence covered his flights and hotel stays. According to the prosecution, El M. allegedly possessed «120 confidential documents on various USB sticks, 65 of which contained state secrets». One of these files reportedly included an intelligence analysis by the AIVD on Moroccan activities in the Netherlands. Given the gravity of the allegations, El M. remains in pre-trial detention. He denies all charges, telling the court he has an «alternative scenario» to explain the accusations and insisting he has «never, ever violated» the trust of his employer, colleagues, or the Dutch state.
