Former national security worker accused of espionage strongly denies allegation
“I may be here as a criminal, but I am not guilty. I have not committed any crimes. I have made mistakes, but I feel no moral or legal guilt. I have done nothing.” These were the closing words of Abderrahim El M., who is accused of leaking state secrets to the Moroccan intelligence service, at his trial in Rotterdam on Friday. Earlier this week, prosecutors recommended a 12-year prison sentence.
El M., 66, spent many years working as an analyst for the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV). In October 2023, he was arrested at Schiphol Airport while preparing to fly to Morocco. Authorities discovered a cache of classified documents in his luggage, and later searches by the National Criminal Investigation Department revealed even more sensitive material.
In his 45-minute closing statement, El M. became emotional several times, calling the trial “absurd” and “Kafkaesque.” The Public Prosecution Service describes the case as a spy affair of extraordinary magnitude. El M. spent 20 months in pretrial detention before being allowed to await his trial out of custody.
“I have given nothing to anyone, nothing at all,” El M. declared. “I carried out my duties for the Netherlands, and I am extremely proud of that. Together with my colleagues, I kept the country safe.”
He stressed that prosecutors have not presented any motive for the alleged espionage, and he claims to have had none. “Why would I suddenly do something else at the 11th hour? I was nearing retirement, had a secure and well-paid job, a stable family, and I had nothing to want for.”
El M. admitted to keeping an excessive number of work documents at his home, calling himself a collector, even a hoarder. “I should have simply destroyed and discarded them,” he said. While his supervisors testified that he was not permitted to take the documents home, El M. claimed that this was tacitly allowed.
El M.’s attorney called for an acquittal, arguing that the evidence is insufficient. He highlighted the pivotal role his client had held for years at the NCTV. “He was the source of sources,” the lawyer told the court. “The central spider in the web of counterterrorism.”
The court is expected to announce its verdict on March 11.
Reporting by ANP
