Malika El Aroud lost her Belgian nationality following a court ruling in November 2017, as she failed in her obligations as a citizen. She was left with only her Moroccan nationality. El Aroud was convicted in 2010 for being involved in a terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda and was sentenced to eight years in prison. El Aroud, along with her husband Moez Garsallaoui, was found guilty of organizing a network to send jihadist fighters from Belgium to Afghanistan. She was previously married to another jihadist, Dahmane Abd el-Sattar, who was one of the perpetrators of the assassination of Commander Massoud in Afghanistan. In October 2018, El Aroud was arrested for expulsion and taken to Bruges closed center. Her asylum request was refused, and her lawyer filed an urgent procedure against the Aliens Litigation Council, stating that El Aroud would face torture or inhuman treatment if returned to Morocco.
Malika El Aroud, 64, had been stripped of her Belgian nationality by judgment of the Brussels Court of Appeal of November 30, 2017, “for having seriously failed in her duties as a Belgian citizen”. She then only had her Moroccan nationality.
The proceedings against her had been initiated following the conviction of the person concerned to eight years in prison for participation in the activities of a terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda, by the Brussels Court of Appeal, in 2010. She had was found guilty of having organized, with her husband, Moez Garsallaoui, a network to send jihadist fighters from Belgium to Afghanistan. Malika El Aroud had previously been married to another jihadist, Dahmane Abd el-Sattar, whom she had joined in Afghanistan. This man was one of the perpetrators of the assassination of Commander Massoud in Afghanistan on September 9, 2001, two days before the attacks in the United States.
On October 11, 2018, Malika El Aroud was therefore arrested with a view to her expulsion and taken to the closed center of Bruges. His lawyer, Me Nicolas Cohen, had then submitted a request for political asylum, which was refused.
The lawyer had also launched an extremely urgent procedure before the Aliens Litigation Council, citing the fact that his client would be exposed to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment if she were returned to Morocco.
In conclusion, Malika El Aroud’s history of involvement with terrorist activities and associations ultimately led to the revocation of her Belgian nationality and her subsequent arrest for expulsion. Her attempt at seeking political asylum was refused, and her lawyer launched an urgent procedure to avoid her potential exposure to torture or inhuman treatment in Morocco. This case serves as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in extremist activities and the measures taken by governments to protect their citizens from such threats.