French student Sebastien Raoult was imprisoned for two months in Morocco on suspicion by the FBI of committing cybercrimes against American companies, officials say. Anadolu News Agency reports.
Raoult, 21, who also goes by the name Sezyo, is a computer science student from Alsace and faces 116 years in prison if convicted.
He was arrested by Moroccan authorities in early June, according to French media, BFM TV.
When an Interpol red notice for a cyberpiracy case was issued in May, authorities initially arrested Raoult on May 31 at Rabat-Salé airport. He has since been detained near Rabat.
Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, issues Red Notices for crimes in member countries, asking authorities in those countries to detain suspects with possible legal action, or other measures to follow.
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Raoult’s father and lawyer, Philippe Ohayon, claim he is the victim of identity theft and have asked the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Bourne, to intervene.
The computer science student is said to belong to the hacking group ShinyHunters accused by the FBI of having hacked into major American companies, including Microsoft. Allegations of wire fraud and identity theft are among the charges.
US authorities are asking for Raoult’s extradition to face trial, but his legal team is asking for his extradition to France because he has “only been to France and Morocco”.
