29 Oct 2011

Death sentence for convicted bomber

12:02 pm on 29 October 2011

A judge in Morocco has sentenced to death a man found guilty of orchestrating a bomb attack on a tourist café in Marrakech in April.

Seventeen people died in the attack, including eight French nationals.

Adil al-Atmani was tried with eight others. One was given a life sentence while seven others were sentenced to up to four years in prison.

Prosecutors told the court that Othmani disguised himself as a guitar-carrying hippie and planted two bombs in a cafe in Djemaa El-Fna, the tourist heart of Marrakesh.

He then detonated the explosives using a mobile phone.

The motive for the attack was unclear.

Othmani denied the charges and is lawyers said they would lodge an appeal.

The BBC reports more than 100 people are on death row in Morocco. However, there have been no executions since 1992.