ASVDH members before first degree court of El-Ayoune

08/10/2007 | Political Prisoners

Two human rights defenders, ASVDH secretary-general Mr. Brahim SABBAR and a member of ASVDH’s council of coordination, Mr. Ahmed SBAI, in the company of three other Sahrawi political prisoners (Mr. Elhafed TOUBALI, Mr. Ahmed Salem AHMEIDAT, Mr. Mohamed Lehbib ELGASMI and Mr. Abdessalam LOUMADI) appeared today, Monday October 8, 2007, before the court of first degree in El-Ayoune. The five prisoners were evacuated from the courtroom one minute after their entry for having shouted slogans denouncing their iniquitous and inequitable sentences. After their evacuation, the five Sahrawi prisoners were put in a police car where they were violently bitten and insulted before giving them in another car which lead them to the prison which prevent them from there right to defend themselves before the court. The trial was then put in deliberation and the judgement will be read on October 22.

The families of these five prisoners were led towards a courtroom at the Court of Appeal whereas the lawsuit proceeded in another room in the court of first degree. This new police operation did not make it possible for these families to attend the lawsuit of their children.

We specify that these five prisoners were charged to have offended the magistrates. This new charge, according to highly reliable sources, was given in a circular memo of the Moroccan Ministry for Justice to force the political Sahrawi prisoners not to stress slogans posting of the political positions more relating to the right of the Sahrawi people’s to self-determination.

We also recall that Mr. Brahim SABBAR had been condemned to two years of hard time (in company of the Sahrawi political prisoner Mr. Ahmed Mahmoud HADDI, who was condemned to three years of hard time, and his brother Mr. Mohamed Lamine HADDI, who was condemned to one year with deferment) as he was condemned to one year and half of firm prison in company of Mr. Ahmed SBAI.