WILLEMSTAD – Two men from Curaçao who were convicted of a murder in Morocco will definitively face the death penalty after a Moroccan appeals court upheld their sentences. The ruling was confirmed this week after a lengthy appeals process, bringing the case to a legal conclusion with no further avenues for appeal.
The men, identified as Shardyone Semeler, 34, and Edwin Martina, 30, were convicted several years ago for their role in the killing of a young man in Marrakech. Moroccan courts previously sentenced both men to death, a verdict they appealed. On appeal, the court reaffirmed the original judgment, confirming that the death sentences will stand under Moroccan law.
According to court findings, the victim was the son of a judge and was also involved in criminal activities. The case further involved the killing of another man who was reportedly a rival of Ridouan Taghi, a figure widely associated with international organized crime networks. Moroccan authorities treated the case as a serious and deliberate act of violence with international dimensions.
With the appeals process now exhausted, the verdict is final. Under Moroccan law, death sentences remain legally possible, although executions are rare and often subject to long delays. Nonetheless, the ruling means that both men will remain on death row in Morocco.
The case has drawn attention in Curaçao due to the nationality of the convicted men and the severity of the sentence, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of involvement in international criminal activity and the stark differences between legal systems across countries.