RABAT, Morocco — Morocco's king says he is rescinding his pardon of a Spanish pedophile after an unusual bout of protests in the case. It was the first time in recent memory that a Moroccan sovereign had reversed a pardon.

But the Spaniard, named by Morocco as Daniel Galvan Fina, is believed to now be in Spain, and it was unclear whether he will be brought back to Morocco.

In a statement late Sunday, King Mohammed VI said he had asked his justice minister to work with his Spanish counterpart to see how the pardon could be undone.

On July 30, at the request of Spain's King Juan Carlos, the Moroccan monarch pardoned 48 Spaniards who had been imprisoned here, including Fina, who was convicted of raping 11 children.