Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why was Abd el-Krim imprisoned by Spanish authorities during World War I?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Spanish soldiers operate artillery cannons in a desert landscape near Melilla, with smoke billowing as a cannon fires during a 1930s battle. — Rif War Spanish artillery firing outside Melilla during the Rif War.

Abd el-Krim was imprisoned by Spanish authorities in Melilla from September 1915 to August 1916 due to suspicions regarding his political loyalties during World War I.

Although he served as a chief Islamic judge under the Spanish protectorate, Spanish military authorities grew concerned that he and his father were violating Spain's neutrality in the conflict. Following an interrogation in August 1915, a military report accused Abd el-Krim of harboring pro-Central Powers sentiments, expressing animosity toward the French, and advocating for an autonomous central Rif region free from direct Spanish administration. These accusations led to his incarceration and the suspension of his father's pension, marking a significant turning point that eventually soured his relationship with the Spanish authorities and contributed to his later leadership in the Rif War.1