La Rambla terror attacks convicted ensures intelligence agency knew about imam's plans

Sentenced for the crime of belonging to a terrorist organization. Mohamed Houli was convicted to 53 years in prison by Spain's National Court back in 2021. However, a year later, the ruling was reduced to 43 years.

After many years in prison, Houli was temporarily transferred to the Spanish Congress' committee investigating the 2017 terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, which left 16 deaths and over 300 people injured.

Houli joined the committee after the pro-independence Junts per Catalunya reached a deal with the Socialists to set up a group to investigate the real story behind the attacks, which the party argues were orchestrated by the Spanish intelligence agency (CNI). A former high-ranking police official also claims the message, José Manuel Villarejo.

Months after the committee started in November, Houli said that "Spain's intelligence agency knew about the Ripoll imam's plans and allowed him to brainwash us." The imam of Ripoll, Abdelbaki es-Satty, is considered the mastermind of the attacks in La Rambla Boulevard and Cambrils' Passeig Marítim seafront boulevard.

Es-Satty had been interviewed by the CNI while he was in prison in Castellón and before he went to live in Ripoll. According to a report by the Spanish secret services, he was ruled out as a potential collaborator as they did not trust his information.

"I am saying such things now, and not before, as I was aware of any consequences I could face, but I am already convicted, and in prison, so I do not have anything to lose," he told MPs in the Prim room, named after Catalan general Juan Prim i Prats, Spanish PM murdered in 1870.

He continued, "I say this not to make me less responsible for the events, but for those who approved the imam's doing as he wished and doing what he had planned."

During his speech, Houli said that another member of the terrorist group had told him that es-Satty himself had advised him to leave the premises "as some CNI agents were getting there." "This is the only thing I can say," he added.

Spain's Guàrdia Civil temporarily transferred Mohamed Houli to Congress under strong surveillance measures, including armored police officers seated by MPs.

At the committee, held in Catalan and Spanish languages, Houli said that he "felt forced" to say that the terrorist group planned to attack Barcelona's unfinished Sagrada Família basilica, despite the fact he did not know of the plans.

Houli was part of the group of people at the house in Alcanar, south of Catalonia, that exploded a few days before August 17, 2017, when the attacks were perpetrated. He said that at the moment of the blast, there were three people, "but I do not know if the imam had escaped through the window or not, they say that they are not aware if he is dead or alive, I do not know it either," he told MPs.

The convicted argues it was es-Satty who radicalized them: "I cannot explain it, but everything starts with the imam. We were very well-integrated children who had never caused any harm."

Before Houli started his statement and answering MPs questions, members of the People's Party left the committee.

They consider the "cost" to public funding this committee is causing is just "ridiculous and a lack of dignity to the chamber."

"All this spectacle is just to pleasure those who, thanks to his votes, allow Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez continues in government against all Spaniards' wills," Rodríguez said.