Testimony of Djimi El Ghalia, ASVDH vice president, on harassment episode of foreign observers by Moroccan officials
05/11/2009 | Testimony
Djimi El Ghalia, ASVDH vice president
Around 21:10, two friends, international observers and lawyers, Ines Miranda and Nieves, came home for dinner. After a few minutes, around 21:30, a group of 6 Moroccan policemen in civilian clothes came knocking on the door, accompanied by 4 cars. They asked my daughter to get me. I actually introduced myself and Mr. Rabii said: ‘you know us all, we’re the police. Are there any foreigners in here?’
I said: ‘yes’.
Mr. Rabii told me: ‘you know it’s forbidden by Moroccan law to host any foreigners without permission!’.
I replied that I was not aware of this law, but it’s up to the police agents to prevent their arrival at the airport. As for me, I have been hosting foreigners for many years, as I have received at home most of the international observers, NGOs and those involved in monitoring the situation of human rights, and nobody said a word about that as you always followed them until they have reached my house…
Another ranking officer, Mr. Tercholi, chief of General Intelligence, said: ‘yes it’s true, but now everything has changed, the authorities at high levels are seriously considering putting an end to this kind of contact’.
They asked me to get Ms. Ines Miranda; when she came out, they asked her: ‘Do you have a permission to visit here?’ She replied yes, and she showed them her accredited permission. When Rabii took the paper and read it, he said that there is no such thing as Western Sahara but only Moroccan Sahara and the paper is about Western Sahara (as shown on the written permission). ‘In addition this is a paper written in Spanish and you have to take permission from the office of the ministry of Communication, but before all, you have to leave this house and join your hotel’.
As for me, they told me it was the last time I would receive foreigners at home, and that we must inform security officials when there is a stranger coming to see us. I replied that that was not my job but their own job to do.
Finally I denounce those practices that impede our freedoms and all the repressive laws that try to restrict our freedom and that of the Saharwi human Rights Activists.
I also call upon all NGOs to intervene to pressure Moroccan authorities into ensuring the fact that human rights defenders in Western Sahara can accomplish their tasks without fear.
El Ghalia Djimi
Vice President of ASVDH
El Aaiun, Western Sahara
03/11/2009
