Up to 700 suspects are to appear in a series of trials in Morocco today, in connection with the bomb blasts in Casablanca in May that caused 44 deaths, including those of 12 suicide bombers. The trials – in which Spaniards and a Frenchman are implicated – reflect a crackdown imposed by the parliament on Islamic activists after the Casablanca bombings. They bring to a halt a timid liberalisation process begun by the young King Mohammed VI. Mohamed Bouzoubaa, the Justice Minister, said: “The trials will affect some 700 … Some are directly linked with the attacks, while others belong to groups that have been preparing acts of violence in the country.” Full Story