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Spain opens trial for Moroccan accused in deadly 2023 church machete attack
Spain’s National Court in Madrid has opened the trial of Moroccan national Yassine Kanjaa, accused of killing a church worker and injuring others in a machete attack that shocked the country in early 2023.
A deadly night in Algeciras
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on January 25, 2023, in the southern city of Algeciras. Kanjaa, reportedly carrying a large machete, first attacked a 20-year-old man in the street before entering San Isidro Church during evening mass, where he seriously wounded a priest by striking him in the neck.
Moments later, he moved to a nearby church, where he fatally assaulted the sacristan, delivering multiple blows to the head and neck. Kanjaa then attempted to enter a third church but was stopped and arrested by police.
The attacks, described by Spanish authorities as acts of terrorism, provoked widespread condemnation and reignited public debate over radicalization and immigration policy in Spain and across Europe.
Prosecution seeks 50-year sentence
The prosecutor’s office has charged Kanjaa with one count of terrorist murder and two counts of attempted terrorist murder, seeking a 50-year prison sentence. The indictment alleges that Kanjaa underwent a process of radicalization in the months preceding the attack, adopting extremist ideologies that justified violence against other religions.
While psychiatric experts identified psychotic symptoms and possible schizophrenia, prosecutors argued that these did not fully diminish his understanding of his actions.
Court proceedings underway in Madrid
The trial began Monday with testimony from eyewitnesses, while police officers and forensic experts are expected to take the stand on Tuesday. Kanjaa himself is scheduled to appear before the court on Wednesday.
The defendant, who had no previous criminal record, entered Spain irregularly and was reportedly under an expulsion order at the time of the attack.
The proceedings before Spain’s highest criminal court mark a critical moment in addressing violent extremism and public safety concerns in the wake of the 2023 Algeciras tragedy.
