A minute’s silence was observed in Plasencia’s Plaza Mayor in memory of Imad. His family attended alongside dozens of residents and members of the Muslim community. Described as “inconsolable,” the young man’s mother held a placard bearing an unequivocal message: “We want justice, not impunity.” Other mourners carried signs reading, “A life taken, a family shattered.”
Tuesday’s gathering took place four days after the death of 22-year-old Imad, who died in hospital from injuries sustained in a stabbing. His family believes the killing was racially motivated and wants investigators to pursue that possibility. So far, the authorities have not publicly established a motive for the attack.
Mariam Hayoune, a Plasencia resident, gave voice to the grief of those gathered in the square. “We are here today with heavy hearts, deeply saddened, to pay tribute to Imad, a young man of just 22 whose life was brutally taken in our city,” she said at the start of her address.
Imad, she reminded those present, was not “just another young man,” but “a son, a family member, a brother, a friend,” loved by everyone fortunate enough to have known him. He had “his whole life ahead of him” and dreams yet to fulfil.
His death, Hayoune continued, has left “an immense void” in the hearts of his family, friends and everyone who loved him. “A loss that hurts us deeply and that should never, never, never have happened.”
“You are not alone”
Hayoune then addressed Imad’s family directly, assuring them of the community’s support. “There are no words that can ease the immense pain of losing a child,” she said, before telling his relatives, “You are not alone. We share your grief, and we will stand by your side.”
She also thanked friends, neighbors, associations and institutions for their solidarity. At times like these, she stressed, “small acts of humanity carry immense meaning.”
Her speech included an appeal for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony, without abandoning the demand for truth and justice.
“No difference, no dispute, no confrontation can justify taking someone’s life,” she declared. She also urged those present not to allow the tragedy to fuel hatred. “No nationality, no religion, no community should be judged by the individual actions of one person,” she insisted, reminding the gathering that Plasencia is “our shared home.”
That appeal for calm, however, does not resolve the questions raised by the family. Imad’s relatives want investigators to examine whether the attack was racially motivated and establish exactly what happened that night.
The case remains before the courts. The main suspect, aged 19, has been remanded in custody over his alleged involvement in the killing.
Community determined to keep Imad’s death from being forgotten
Mohamed Taktak Lazrak, president of the Islamic Community of Plasencia and vice-president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Extremadura, told Le360 that supporting Imad’s family has been the community’s priority since his death.
“We are deeply affected by this tragedy because we have lost a son in circumstances no one should ever have to experience,” he said.
The gathering, he explained, was intended to offer support to the young man’s relatives and keep public attention focused on the case. The family was expected to repatriate Imad’s body to Morocco the following day, provided the necessary consular documents were issued.
“We do not want too much time to pass and see this case quickly closed. We want the legal process to run its course,” Taktak Lazrak explained, stressing the importance of holding the memorial before the family’s departure.
The gathering also provided an opportunity to condemn the limited attention the case has received from much of the Spanish media.
Read also : Young Moroccan killed in Spain, family denounces racist crime
According to Taktak Lazrak, while some local outlets reported Imad’s death, the case has attracted very little coverage in the national press and has barely made headlines beyond Spain. He sees this as evidence of unequal media treatment. “We know that if the situation had been reversed, the social and media repercussions would have been far greater,” he said.
Despite his anger, he stressed the need for a peaceful response focused entirely on securing justice. “We want to give this case as much visibility as possible so that justice is served and the full force of the law is applied,” he said.
The community, he added, has worked to support the family and ease tensions to prevent the tragedy from sparking further confrontations.
As the memorial drew to a close, the messages on the placards and the words spoken in the square continued to resonate.
Imad will be buried in Fqih Bensaleh, Morocco. His family will return home carrying the grief of his loss and an unanswered demand: to learn the full truth about his death and see the courts examine the racist motive they believe was behind his killing.
