Rabat-Istanbul Flight: Prison or Deportation, the Verdict Handed Down for the 9 Moroccans
After the altercation that occurred on board an Air Arabia flight diverted to Palma de Mallorca, the Spanish authorities have applied an accelerated procedure. Barely released by the courts this Sunday, the nine Moroccan passengers were confronted with a strict administrative measure: immediate return to the country or placement in a detention center.
The authorities’ response was immediate upon leaving the courthouse. While the duty judge had just ordered their release on bail, the national police took over by applying the law on foreigners. Faced with this ultimatum, six of the accused agreed to be sent back to Morocco by plane that same evening.
Two others were taken to a detention center, while the last individual was re-arrested within the judicial premises for having assaulted agents and provoked a new brawl with his compatriots.
This administrative decision comes to close the incident that occurred last Thursday. The flight, which connected Rabat to Istanbul, had to make an emergency landing in the Balearics for the medical evacuation of a pregnant passenger.
It was during the prolonged two-hour wait on the ground that the situation deteriorated. A dispute between a passenger and a flight attendant turned into a physical altercation, forcing the pilot to cancel the takeoff and request the intervention of the Civil Guard to remove the passengers involved.
