World Bulletin / News Desk

Morocco has arrested five youth members of the premier's Islamist party who allegedly celebrated last week's murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, a party source said Thursday.

The Akhbar Al-Yaoum daily reported a sixth person had been called in for questioning.

The PJD, whose leader has been tasked with forming a new governing coalition after winning October parliamentary polls, has yet to comment on the arrests.

But the head of the party's lawyer association, Abdessamad al-Idrissi, said he would be defending those detained.

Under Moroccan law, the crime of justifying terrorist acts can be punished by up to six years in prison and more than $19,000 in fines.

On December 22, the justice and interior ministries said they were opening an investigation after a group of people "clearly celebrated on social media the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey".

In early December, Benkirane caused a diplomatic stir by criticising Russia's military intervention in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

After Moscow's envoy in Rabat expressed concern over the comments, Morocco's foreign ministry slammed the premier's remarks and said it respected Russia's role in Syria.