Imprisoned jihad recruiter claims PTSD

The alleged jihad recruiter Azzedine C., better known as Abou Moussa, is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This his lawyer, André Seebregts, said yesterday. Seebregts advocated for lifting C.'s custody.

According to the lawyer, C. got PTSD in Morocco, where in 2009 he was interrogated for some time by the Moroccan intelligence service. C. believes that he was questioned because the General Intelligence and Security Service provided information about him.

Seebregts says that because of the PTSD, being imprisoned in the "terrorist department" of the prison in Vught is much harder on C. than on others. The lawyer gave it as one of the reasons why the court should lift the custody on C. According to Seebregts, the probability of re-offense after his release is small.

C. is suspected of recruiting people for jihad in Syria and Iraq. The Public Prosecution accused him of preparation for "murder or manslaughter with a terrorist intent". Last month C. went on a hunger strike for a short time. According to C., he had to deal with unnecessary violence if he did not follow orders fast enough. In his own words he was also ridiculed and humiliated in prison.

In September the trail judge in his case was replaced because he seemed biased. The judge said that the ideology that C. adheres to "leads to criminal offenses". According to the court in the Hauge, that points to bias.