Two Dutch nationals have been sentenced to death in Morocco for the murder of the son of a Moroccan judge in a bar in Marrakesh in 2017, Dutch media report.

It is though the intended target of the attack, in which two people were injured, was Mustapha el F, the Moroccan-Dutch owner of the café La Crème in Marrakesh. He was sentenced to 15 years for his role in a case which, according to the Moroccan ministry of justice, revolves around drugs trade, abduction and possession of illegal weapons.

Some twenty people in total were arrested.

The men, Shardyone S (30) and Edwin R.M (26) deny any involvement in the murder. Broadcaster NOS reports that two of the brothers of Ridouan Taghi, who is top of the Dutch most wanted list, were instrumental in the preparation for the attack. They too were arrested and have been sentenced to 10 and 20 years.

No people have been executed in Morocco for 25 years and it is thought strict sentencing is Morocco’s way of clamping down on Moroccans who live abroad but who play an important role in drug related criminality in the country.

In a reaction the Dutch foreign ministry said it opposes the death penalty and that all Dutch nationals have a right to consular support. ‘It is up to these people if they want to appeal or not’, a spokesperson told the broadcaster.