The body of a Moroccan man, Abdelali Mchiouer who lost his life at the hands of the Algerian coastguard while crossing the border on a jet ski, has been repatriated to his family, as confirmed by their legal representatives on Thursday.
Lawyers Hakim Cherki and Ghizlane Mouhtaram released a statement saying, “After around four months of urgent attempts, the body of the deceased Abdelali Mchiouer was returned to his family and to all those who loved him in Morocco and abroad.”
Expressing gratitude, the family acknowledged the support from both anonymous and public personalities in facilitating the return, particularly highlighting the efforts of Moroccan diplomat Abderrahim Chakir for his “persistent activism and dedication,” as reported by AFP.
The statement further outlined that Mchiouer’s body would undergo an autopsy under the supervision of the Moroccan judicial authorities before being laid to rest.
The incident occurred in August when the 40-year-old Moroccan resident of France, Abdelali Mchiouer, and his cousin, Bilal Kissi, a 29-year-old French-Moroccan, were fatally shot after unintentionally entering Algerian waters. A third individual, Smail Snabe, who is also French-Moroccan, was arrested by the Algerian coastguard and remains in custody in Algeria.
According to an account from the brother of one of the victims who was present that day, Algeria claimed that its security forces fired only after issuing “an audible warning and ordering them to stop several times.”