AT LARGE
- Full name: Mustapha Mraoui
- Pseudonym: Abu Abdallah
- Alternatives: N/a
- Location: Iraq or Syria, fmr France
- Affiliation: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [DaIISh], Mraoui and Assani Network [MAN]
Mustapha Mraoui (°1985) is a jihadi from the Parisian suburbs in the Hauts-de-Seine department. He turned to religion as a teenager in 2002 and became active in a Salafi mosque in the Val-de-Marne department.1 By 2010, Mraui was leading prayers at the site of worship and served as the secretary of a local Muslim association.2 He reportedly made trips to Egypt to learn Arabic.3 Mrau got acquainted with Karim Assani. The men attracted a small group of followers at the mosque and began pressuring other worshippers to adopt their strict interpretations.4 Mraoui and Assani fueled the radicalization of their associates and eventually even began to convince them of the necessity of jihad.5 Mraui was seen as the group’s leader and organized daily meetings at the mosque.6 He also provided his companions with martial arts training to prepare them for action.7
In August 2013, Mraui, Assani and five of their associates traveled to Syria and linked up with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [DaIISh; Dawlat al-Islamiya fi-Iraq wal ash-Sham].8 Nothing is known about his activities in Syria. In April 2016, a French court sentenced him in absentia to ten years in prison for his role in the Mraui and Assani Network [MAN].9 The verdict was confirmed by an appeals court on Feb. 27, 2017.10 His current status and whereabouts are unknown.
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