Sentencing of Sahrawi students in Marrakech
25/05/2007 | Newsletter, Political Prisoners
El-Ayoune – Western Sahara
Friday May 25, 2007
Seven Sahrawi students, arrested on May 9, 2007, in the university City of Marrakech and imprisoned with the local prison of the same city, appeared, today, Friday May 25, 2007, before the court of first authority of Marrakech. The latter pronounced heavy and unjust sentences against these students.
Thus, the court decided to condemn:
Miss. Sultana KHAYA, pupil at the American arts centre, on conditional release with serious eye injury: eight months prison
Mr. Abdelfatah ELYADASSIA, studying in 2nd year social sciences, Case N° 88351: one year of firm prison
Mr. Embeirik DAH, pupil in 6th year sciences, Case N° 88355: one year prison
Mr. Mohamed ELARBAWI, Case N° 88353: one year prison
Mr. Hassan FATEH, studying in 1st year Law, Case N° 88356
Mr. Rachid BENOU, studying in 1st year Law, Case N° 88354: one year prison
Mr. Mahmoud ELQUEITI, students in 1st year Law, Case N° 88352: one year prison
The trial, with two Spanish observers, Ines MIRANDA and Lola assisted, proceeded under extraordinary conditions. The families of the students were prohibited to enter the courtroom as well as a great number of friends. They asked the defense to protested against these restrictive practices and to withdraw. The students proclaimed their attachment to their defense, however the court pronounced these heavy and unjust sentences at the end of an inequitable lawsuit.
In addition, the Sahrawi political prisoners, in the Black Prison in El-Ayoune, were subjected to a search under blows of bludgeons, by the prison guardians, at 07:00 in the morning of Thursday May 24, 2007. These prisoners, who had hands hands tied, were maltreated during more than four hours. Their personal affairs were confiscated. According to families’ of these prisoners, the traces of the shackles are always visible on their hands.
In relation, the Sahrawi political prisoners imprisoned in the local prison of Tiznit were visited by the prosecutor general after the first day of the hunger strike which they had announced. He ordered open an investigation into the complaints of these prisoners, who were gathered by the director of the prison today, Friday May 25, 2007, to inform them that he will respond to their complaints. However, the director of the local prison of Tiznit qualified to these prisoners that the question of isolating them from the ordinary prisoners will take time.
