#Morocco #Spain #MoroccanConsulate #Murcia #Harassment #SidiMohamedBiadillah
Spanish press reports that Morocco has asked the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to intervene in order to lift the freezing of the bank account of its consulate in Murcia. This account was seized by the Spanish courts to guarantee the payment of compensation to a former employee who was a victim of sexual and workplace harassment.
The victim, a secretary at the consulate, had been dismissed after suffering repeated acts of harassment by the consul. Spanish courts annulled her dismissal and ordered the consulate to pay her unpaid wages and compensation totaling more than €100,000. Faced with Morocco’s persistent refusal to pay, the court ordered the seizure of the consulate’s bank account.
The Moroccan embassy in Madrid invoked diplomatic and consular immunity, relying on international conventions, to challenge the seizure. It argued that the consulate’s assets are protected and essential to its operations.
However, the Spanish courts rejected this argument, considering the case to be a purely labor-related dispute governed by Spanish labor law, with no connection to Morocco’s sovereign functions.
The victim’s lawyer denounced a strategy of obstruction aimed at delaying the enforcement of the court ruling and warned that any intervention by the Spanish government would be very serious. He believes that preventing the implementation of the judgment would contradict the protection of women’s rights, especially those who are victims of harassment.
At the time of publication, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not yet officially responded to Morocco’s request.
Sidi Mohammed Biedallah, former Moroccan consul in Murcia, found guilty by Spanish courts of moral and sexual harassment, is now serving as ambassador to Mozambique. His appointment, announced in May 2025, came after a Spanish court had already established the facts and annulled the dismissal of his secretary, known as “Maryam.”
Despite this ruling, no disciplinary action was taken. On the contrary, the diplomat was discreetly moved away from Spain through a series of transfers before obtaining his first ambassadorship.
Now 55 years old, Biedallah has held several posts in Spain and Italy. Of Sahrawi origin, he belongs to a family divided by the Western Sahara conflict: one of his brothers is a senior official of the Polisario Front, while another is an influential figure within the Moroccan establishment.
According to several sources, his career fits into a broader strategy aimed at promoting Sahrawi diplomats loyal to the regime in order to defend Rabat’s official position on Western Sahara. On social media, he regularly promotes these views.
The case also implicates Morocco’s ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, who is accused of having ignored early warnings about the harassment and of protecting the consul. No internal investigation was reportedly conducted, and the victim was never contacted.
After the court ruling, the embassy allegedly tried to block its enforcement, including by intervening to lift the freezing of a bank account intended to compensate the victim.
While Mohammed Biedallah continues his diplomatic career in Africa, “Maryam” is still fighting to obtain full redress. For human rights advocates, this case highlights the flaws of a system that prioritizes the protection of senior officials over the rights of victims.
A court in Murcia ordered the seizure of the Moroccan consulate’s bank accounts to compensate an employee who reported sexual and workplace harassment. Her dismissal was declared invalid and the consul was found guilty. Since the ruling was not respected, the court enforced payment of over €100,000, including compensation, back pay, interest, and legal costs.
Source : El Independiente