On Tuesday evening, Imad’s family and friends will gather in Plasencia to pay tribute to him, alongside members of the Muslim community and local residents. The young man was stabbed in the city center during the night of October 29-30. He died in hospital from his injuries.
Speaking to Le360, his family maintains that this was a racist crime. They are calling on investigators to examine this possibility and fully establish the circumstances surrounding the attack. At this stage, the authorities have not publicly established the motive for the crime.
An interrupted escape, two suitcases of drugs and an arsenal
The attack took place at around 02:00 at the intersection of Talavera and Encarnación streets. Imad suffered several stab wounds. After receiving assistance from national and municipal police officers who responded to the scene, he was taken to Virgen del Puerto Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Based on accounts gathered from people who were present, security forces identified a 19-year-old suspect and located his home near the scene of the attack. According to information published by Canal Extremadura, police caught the young man and another man, aged 26, as they were preparing to leave the city. The second man allegedly attempted to help the suspect flee and conceal drugs stored at the property.
Officers seized two suitcases containing 16 kilograms of hashish and two kilograms of marijuana. A search of the property also uncovered five grams of cocaine, 17 bladed weapons of various types and two imitation firearms. A vehicle used by the two men was also seized.
Investigators subsequently reconstructed the route taken by the main suspect after the attack. During searches along this route, they found a machete which, according to initial evidence and technical analyses, could match the weapon used. This match remains to be confirmed as part of the investigation.
The Plasencia court ordered the provisional detention of the 19-year-old suspect, who is being investigated as the alleged perpetrator of the homicide. The second man was released under judicial supervision. He remains under investigation for an alleged drug-related offense and his suspected involvement in the attempted escape.
Imad’s family demands justice and denounces a racist motive
The family does not want Imad’s death to be reduced to an account of an altercation. It alleges a racist crime and is calling for this possible motive to be investigated. The investigation will have to establish what happened that night, what led to the attack and whether racism played a role.
The young man’s brother has also spoken out on social media. “My brother didn’t die, he was murdered. He was stabbed twice,” he wrote. In his message, he recalled that Imad had plans, a family and a future ahead of him. “I am not asking for revenge, I am asking for justice,” he added, calling for the truth to come out.
The Islamic Community of Plasencia extended its condolences to the family and condemned the violence. It called for investigators to be allowed to establish the facts and urged people to avoid rumors or premature conclusions about the motive. This call for caution does not settle the question raised by the family, which is specifically asking for its allegation to be investigated.
The gathering scheduled for 17:30 (Spanish time) will allow Imad’s family, friends, members of the Muslim community and residents of Plasencia to pay tribute to him. The Intramuros neighborhood association, for its part, has called for an increased police presence in the city center.
After the ceremony, the family will continue the procedures to repatriate Imad’s body to Morocco. He will be buried in Fqih Bensaleh.
