CASABLANCA - Fifty-two suspected members of a radical Islamic group go on trial on Monday in the first court case directly linked to the May 16 suicide attacks here that killed 44 people.
The trial marks the start of a series of legal proceedings against the banned Salafia Jihadia group, which is suspected of being behind the bombings that left Morocco reeling in shock, a judicial official said.
Five nearly simultaneous explosions struck Casablanca, Morocco's biggest city and main seaport, on a busy Friday night. The attacks singled out foreign and Jewish targets. Twelve of the dead were identified as the suicide bombers.
Three of the alleged suicide bombers survived the blasts and will be present in the defendant's box when the trial opens on Monday, the official said.
All three have been charged with "criminal association, undermining internal state security, sabotage, murder, intention to cause injury and permanent invalidity".
The men were named as 23-year-old night security guard Mohamed El Omari, alias Abou Zoubeir, 27-year-old welder Rachid Jalil, alias Abou Anas, and 22-year-old street vendor Yassine Lahnech, alias Abou Ibrahim.
Most of the other 49 defendants were allegedly involved in the attacks in "various degrees" and will be tried under the same accusations, prosecutors said.
About 200 people across the country have been charged in connection with the deadly attacks. Most of them are members of Salafia Jihadia.
The accused have been split into two groups - those that had a direct role in the attacks and those who have been accused of planning similar attacks in other towns such as Marrakesh, Agadir and Essaouira.
They will gradually be tried under a tough new anti-terrorism law in courts in Casablanca, Rabat, Kenitra and Tangiers.
The new law, adopted in June 2003, substantially increased sentences for certain crimes, in particular murder, sabotage or undermining state security. Those found guilty of murder could even face the death sentence.
On July 12, a court in Casablanca hearing a case against 31 alleged members of Salafia Jihadia, sentenced 10 of the defendants to death. Another eight were jailed for life while the others were handed sentences ranging from one to 20 years imprisonment.
Yussef Fikri, thought to have led the group that committed the attacks even though he was arrested prior to the bombings, was among those sentenced to death after being found guilty of various charges including murder.
Morocco has repeatedly insisted that the suspects have ties to international extremist groups, including Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
"There are a lot of indications that some of the people arrested so far have in one way or another had contacts with others who are involved with the al-Qaeda schemes of terrorism," Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa said last month.
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