One of those convicted in the 17-A attack: "The CNI was aware of the imam's intentions"

Madrid"The CNI was aware of the imam's intentions." With this statement, which supports the conspiracy theories about the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils on August 17, 2017, Mohamed Houli, one of the three convicted for 17-A, began his appearance in Congress. Houli survived the explosion in Alcanar and the National Court sentenced him to 43 years in prison for being part of the jihadist cell and handling explosives with the aim of carrying out an attack. According to the version given on Thursday, the Spanish intelligence services "allowed" Abdelbaki es-Satty to go to Ripoll and "eat their brains." "I say this now and not before for fear of reprisals or that it could harm me, but I am already convicted and I have nothing to lose," he said before the deputies of the commission of inquiry into 17-A, reading from a notebook, handcuffed and under police surveillance.

After making this initial intervention, Houli admitted to questions from EH Bildu and ERC that his accusation against the National Intelligence Centre is a "conjecture". "I have no proof. I want them to look for this proof," he said. The man sentenced to the highest sentence for 17-A, a prisoner in a penitentiary in Córdoba, based his statement about the CNI on a conversation with Mohamed Hichamy, who led the group that carried out the attack in Cambrils and was shot dead there. "He explained to us that sometimes when they met with the imam he would tell them that they had to leave because CNI agents were coming," recalled Houli, who had never explained this version of events and did not witness these alleged statements by Es-Satty, with whom he said he had little relationship.

"You are making this statement now, eight years later, based on a conversation that one of your colleagues told you [...] without any proof or indication that can support this," said the spokesman for the Basque nationalists, Jon Iñarritu, to whom Houli did not want to give any details about his participation in the preparation of the attacks - he did not reach them in class. "I am not going to go into this," he limited himself to answering, focusing only on the conspiracy narrative. "I say this without removing my responsibility and so that those who allowed the imam to run riot are sought," he justified. "Why have you made this change now and are you spreading it? [...] Has your lawyer or someone advised you to communicate this expression to us?" insisted the Republican deputy Francisco Marco Alvaro, to whom Houli assured that making this change of narrative was his decision.

Houli has lashed out at Es-Satty, whom he has held responsible for his radicalisation. "It all comes because the imam came. We were well-integrated kids, we had never caused problems to anyone," he stressed in response to Pilar Calvo, from Junts, who warned him of the "seriousness" of his statement and regretted "that a 20-year-old boy would destroy his life in this way." "I regret it too," replied Houli, who shielded himself by saying that "he was a young boy whose head was eaten." "Now I wouldn't be capable of doing any of this," he said.

Criticism from most groups

Most parliamentary groups, with the exception of Junts, have questioned the statement of the convicted terrorist. PSOE and Sumar have refused to ask him questions. "He has no credibility," justified the socialist spokesman, David Serrada. The deputy of the commons Eloi Badia reproached Houli for having taken advantage of the appearance to "position himself as a victim." "He has not come to help or discover the truth or help the victims. The truth is that he has no proof," he lamented. Juntos, on the other hand, has criticized that he has not been questioned. The PP has left the commission before Houli's intervention in protest against the summons of a convicted terrorist. The decision of the prison surveillance judge to give him permission to testify in person, and not by videoconference, forced the activation of the maximum security protocol for the first time in the lower house. He arrived escorted and four National Police officers, two in plain clothes and two in uniform, watched him during the session.

"This whole spectacle is being produced to satisfy those who, with their votes, allow Sánchez to remain in the Palacio de la Moncloa in an unworthy manner," reproached the popular deputy Santi Rodríguez at the beginning, who denounced that they had not been warned that Houli would come in person. Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, also a member of the PP commission, appeared after the statement to denounce that this "circus" had been set up to "keep Puigdemont happy." "They have brought a terrorist to Congress to call the State a terrorist and the CNI a murderer," lamented Álvarez de Toledo, who explained that the popular party will register a "serious" complaint before the president of Congress, Francina Armengol. The leader of Junts, Carles Puigdemont, has reacted to the appearance by confirming Houli's statements and accusing the CNI of negligence in the investigation of "the jihadist plot they had inside the house." "He couldn't have said it any clearer and probably few people like him would be in a position to make this accusation," he told X.