The 8th October will mark the one year anniversary of the detention of 3 prominent Saharawi human rights defenders. They have been held in prison without trial and no evidence to support the charges against them has been produced. If they are ever brought to trial it will be in a military court where they could face the death penalty.
After one year their detention becomes illegal under Moroccan law. UK citizen Aicha Dahane, sister of one of the prisoners said: It has been a very long year waiting for my brother’s release. The impact on my family is immense; we just want him to return home.
TAKE ACTION
Please email: Ms Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights asking her to urgently investigate their detention and request their immediate release.
Send emails to: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
BACKGROUND
All three hold senior positions within Saharawi human rights organisations. They were arrested along with four others on return from a trip to the refugee camps in Tindouf. According to the Moroccan state news agency, their arrest is a result of meetings with “bodies opposing Morocco”. No evidence to support the charges against them has been produced.
The other four have since been released, however Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane and Ahmed Naciri remain imprisoned.
Earlier this year, Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Western Sahara Campaign that he supports human rights monitoring in Western Sahara. Now the Conservatives are in Government let’s ensure they keep this promise!
Please contact your MP and ask them to write to William Hague MP, asking how he plans to ensure human rights monitoring in Western Sahara. Template letter below.
Dear X
Human rights monitoring in Western Sahara
Prior to the General Election the Foreign Secretary confirmed his support for human rights monitoring in Western Sahara through the extension of MINURSO (the UN Mission’s) mandate.
Despite the ongoing human rights abuses in Western Sahara, MINURSO remains, through a lack of political will, the only contemporary peacekeeping mission without a mandate to monitor human rights.
The issue of Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony, is often overlooked. However with real political will and leadership from the UK we can protect the rights of the victims and make progress towards ending the 35 year conflict.
I would be very grateful if you would write to the Foreign Secretary to ask him to honour his promise to implement human rights monitoring in Western Sahara, and ask how the new Government intends to give the issue the attention it deserves and make progress towards a referendum on self-determination.
Join a human rights delegation to the occupied territory. International observers are essential in monitoring the situation and in helping to prevent incidents such as unfair trials. We are arranging a delegation to the region to show international solidarity against the current wave of abuse. For more information please contact laiasah@yahoo.es or anaarenas_photo@hotmail.com
WESTERN SAHARA CAMPAIGN UK
The Western Sahara Campaign works in solidarity with the Saharawi people to generate political support in order to advance their right to self-determination and to promote their human rights.
Our role is to lobby the UK Government and the EU. You can help us to ensure the UK does not ignore the voice of the Saharawi people.
Follow the news about EU's illegal fisheries in Western Sahara
