Context
This article verifies the statements made by Nadia Pajarón, spokesperson for the Unified Spanish Police Union (SUP), regarding the supposed Moroccan nationality of Mr. Hichem Aboud. The allegation was initially reported by Rue20 and then amplified by Algérie patriotique, a site classified by Conspiracy Watch as one of the top ten French-speaking conspiracy sites and circulated on social media.
The Claim
Based on a Rue20 interview with Nadia Pajarón, Algérie patriotique claimed that Hichem Aboud was a Moroccan citizen, labeling him a traitor to Algeria (ed: secessionist).
Statements in Question
Rue20
The Rue20 article from October 23, 2024, quotes Pajarón, with the associated video at 2:26, where the journalist poses the question:
“En el caso de Aboud, estamos hablando de una persona que era muy crítica con el régimen de Argelia. Puede darse la situación en casos de activistas políticos perseguidos por otros países, como Argelia, que haya coordinación entre la Policía Nacional española y la policía de países vecinos, como en este caso podría ser Marruecos.”
“In the case of Aboud, we are talking about someone who was very critical of the Algerian regime. In cases of political activists persecuted by other countries, such as Algeria in this case, could there be coordination between the Spanish National Police and neighboring countries’ police, as could be Morocco in this case?”
Nadia Pajarón’s response in the article and in the video at 2:47 was:
“Sí, efectivamente, puede existir y existe esa coordinación. En España tenemos, para el caso de personas desaparecidas, en este caso de alto riesgo. Porque si una persona tiene amenazas y teme por su vida o su propia integridad física, por ejemplo, en este caso por ser perseguida por un régimen político, nosotros lo consideramos como un factor de riesgo y se puede incluir el caso en el sistema Sadar. Es el sistema de alertas de desapariciones de alto riesgo que permite difundir entre la población alertas, comunicados, y solicitud de colaboración urgente, precisamente para que la ciudadanía nos ayude a colaborar. Esta base de datos se comunica al resto de países, como bien dices, puede ser a Europa o incluso a países vecinos como Marruecos si esta persona tiene nacionalidad marroquí, como es el caso.”
“Yes, indeed, such coordination can and does exist. In Spain, we have, for cases of missing persons, in this case (of Aboud) a high-risk situation. Because if a person is threatened and fears for their life or physical integrity, for example, in the present case, because they are persecuted by a political regime, we consider it a risk factor, and the case may be included in the Sadar system. This is the high-risk missing persons alert system, which allows us to issue alerts, statements, and urgent collaboration requests among the population, precisely so that citizens can help us collaborate. This database is shared with other countries; as you said, it can go to Europe or even to neighboring countries like Morocco if the person holds Moroccan nationality, as is the case.”
Nadia Pajarón’s statement is therefore clear: the data is shared with Morocco, “if the person holds Moroccan nationality, as is the case”.
Gathered Evidence
Clarification from Nadia Pajarón
In response to clarification requests from MenasFacts, Pajarón confirmed by email, on October 31, 2024, that her comments were general and concerned Moroccan-Spanish cooperation, without intending to refer directly to Mr. Aboud’s nationality. She specified:
« En relación a su duda, confirmar que las declaraciones realizadas por la portavoz del SUP Nadia Pajarón en la entrevista a Rue20, se refieren únicamente a una declaración general, realizada en un contexto amplio, refiriéndose en general a la cooperación entre Marruecos y España, sin referirse específicamente al Sr. Aboud. Espero haber aclarado su duda, y pido disculpas por la posible confusión a la que haya podido dar lugar. »
“Regarding your doubt, I would like to confirm that the statements made by SUP spokesperson Nadia Pajarón in the interview with Rue20 refer only to a general statement made in a broad context, referring generally to cooperation between Morocco and Spain, without specifically referring to Mr. Aboud. I hope this clarifies your question, and I apologize for any confusion it may have caused.”
This clarification replaces the initial interpretations, confirming that the remarks from Rue20 did not specifically target Mr. Aboud.
Statements from Hichem Aboud
MenasFacts reached out to Hichem Aboud for comment via email on October 26 and October 30, 2024, but received no response. The request for clarification was a direct question aimed at avoiding rhetorical or symbolic answers and targeted the issue of holding legal Moroccan citizenship or a Moroccan passport: “we would appreciate if you could explicitly clarify whether or not you hold Moroccan nationality, regardless of the historical or symbolic considerations mentioned.”
In a YouTube video published on October 25, 2024, on Anouar Malek’s channel, Aboud responded with a conditional statement, declaring (at 1:00 minute):
Conditional and Honorable Statement:
“اذا كان عندي جواز مغربي ما نخبيهش ونتشرف به وقلتها اكثر من مرة: قلت الجنسية المغربية تاج على راسي”
(“If I had a Moroccan passport, I wouldn’t hide it, and I would be honored, and I’ve said it more than once: I said that Moroccan nationality is a crown on my head.”)
This conditional statement “If I had a Moroccan passport…” is hypothetical and neither confirms nor denies possession of a Moroccan passport. It leaves room for interpretation, without specifying a legal fact. In asserting “I’ve said it more than once: I said that Moroccan nationality is a crown on my head,” Aboud shows a sense of honor regarding Moroccan affiliation but does not explicitly clarify his legal citizenship status.
Historical References:
“شكون كان السند القوي للثوره الجزائريه ? المغرب وتونس”
(Who was the strong support for the Algerian revolution? Morocco and Tunisia.)
“كانو يسافروا بجواز مغربي… هذا يشرفني اني اكون على خطاهم”
(They (Algerian revolutionaries) traveled with a Moroccan passport… it would be an honor for me to follow in their footsteps.)
These statements reflect respect for Morocco’s history and support but provide no explicit evidence of current Moroccan citizenship or passport possession.
Article from Algérie patriotique
The site published an article on October 25, 2024, citing Pajarón’s statements as irrefutable proof of Aboud’s Moroccan citizenship. By distorting Pajarón’s remarks and omitting contextual elements, Algérie patriotique misleads its readers, implying that Spain-Morocco cooperation specifically targets Aboud as a “Moroccan agent,” thus manipulating the interpretation of transnational standards for high-risk disappearance alerts.
Analysis
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Pajarón’s Clarification: The clarification provided by Pajarón negates any misinterpretation of her statements in the Rue20 interview, confirming she spoke of general cooperation between Morocco and Spain. Her apology for the doubts raised by her initial statement strengthens the hypothesis that Hichem Aboud does not hold Moroccan citizenship.
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Ambiguous Statements from Mr. Aboud: Mr. Aboud expressed a hypothetical pride in Moroccan citizenship but neither confirmed nor denied this claim explicitly, leaving room for interpretations and the circulation of rumors.
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Distortion by Algérie patriotique: The article omits complete context and misleads the reader by incorrectly interpreting security cooperation as a conspiracy.
Verdict
False. Hichem Aboud does not hold Moroccan citizenship.
Clarifications from Nadia Pajarón and statements from Hichem Aboud -despite ambiguous- provide sufficient evidence to refute the claim of Moroccan citizenship. In the absence of irrefutable proof such as a naturalization decree from a primary source (Moroccan authorities, Official Journal) or a Moroccan passport, claims by sites like Algérie patriotique are unfounded and mislead the public.