The National High Court in Spain has rejected the asylum and subsidiary protection request of a Moroccan citizen held at a foreign detention center in Madrid. The man claimed he was persecuted in Morocco for not adhering to Islam. He argued that he had been attacked in Morocco for not practicing the religion and feared for his life if returned. In his statements, he said he «knows nothing about Islam, does not practice or fast, and never felt integrated», adding that he had been assaulted both in Morocco and in Spain, particularly in Bilbao, for not fasting. He also maintained that he had filed complaints in Morocco and that some of his aggressors were now in Spain, with one having previously served a prison sentence in Morocco. However, he admitted he had no problems with Moroccan authorities, though he said he felt unsafe and fearful of Muslims in his country. He further acknowledged that he had been expelled from Spain in 2017 with a five-year re-entry ban, and had been detained several times for violating immigration laws or committing minor offenses, according to his security record. His first application was rejected by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which in a report dated June 25, 2024, concluded that the request «did not contain, as of the date of this report, sufficient elements to issue a positive opinion for acceptance and processing». That opinion heavily influenced the administrative decision to deny international protection, which noted that «the claims are not based on a justified fear of persecution due to political opinions, religious beliefs, racial or national affiliation, membership in a particular social group, or due to gender, identity, or sexual orientation». The man later requested a review of his case, but Spanish authorities upheld their decision, citing international reports which state that «the Moroccan constitution guarantees freedom of belief, and what is punishable is proselytism or attempts to convert Muslims to other religions, as well as criticism of Islam. As for a Moroccan citizen adopting a religion other than Islam, it is not a crime, as freedom of belief is guaranteed».
