Morocco allows 12 Western Sahara rights activists to visit Tindouf while six linger in prison awaiting charges for making the same trip last year

08/03/2010 | Newsletter

Today around 11.35 GMT eight Sahrawi human rights defenders arrived at the Mohammed V airport in Casablanca.

The militants had visited the Sahrawi refugee camps near Tindouf, southwest Algeria.

Contrary to what happened to seven Sahrawi human rights activists in October 8, these Sahrawi activists have fortunately not been subjected to ill treatment, detention and charges of treason by Moroccan authorities.

Four other Western Saharan activists had arrived at the same airport at 15.00 GMT.

These human rights activists were accompanied by the following international lawyers and trade unionists: Cristina Martinez, Joelle Toutain, Javier Sopena, Maria Angels, and Raymond Moutte.

ASVDH congratulates these activists for their safe return, and calls on the Moroccan authorities for the immediate release of
- ASVDH president and his five colleagues, who remain imprisoned in the prison of Salé
- and all the Saharawi political prisoners in the Moroccan prisons.