Morocco arrests teen for apology for terrorism

Security services arrest 19-year-old student in Fez for allegedly apologising for New Zealand terror attacks on two mosques on his Facebook account.

RABAT – Morocco’s security services arrested Saturday a teenager in the imperial city of Fez for his alleged involvement in a case of apology for terrorist acts via publications on social networks.

The 19-year old student posted a publication on his Facebook account in which he apologized for the terrorist attack carried out Friday Aby a heavily armed Australian right-wing extremist on two mosques in New Zealand's Christchurch on Friday, killing 49 people, said the Directorate General of National Security in a statement.

The apology for terrorist acts is a crime punishable by Moroccan law, in accordance with Article 218-2 of the Penal Code.

Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder. He is due back in court on April 5 and police said he was likely to face further charges.

Friday's attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand and the country had raised its security threat level to the highest.