Moroccan police in Western Sahara attack Sahrawis, foreign observers

23/08/2010 | Newsletter

Antonio Velazquez

A number of human rights activists have been injured Monday morning after a brutal intervention by the Moroccan police in the city of El-Aaiun, Western Sahara.

The city has seen a strengthening of security measures in the hours before the arrival of five Sahrawi human rights activists returning from a visit to Algiers. The activists are Sultana Khaya, Brahim Sabbar, Neama Asfari, Hmad Hammad and Hamada Al-Ismaili.

Brahim Sabbar the secretary general of ASVDH said that Moroccan police have attacked them on their arrival at the family home of the activist Hmad Hammad where it was scheduled to celebrate their return. In the attack, Mexican journalist Antonio Velazquez was seriously injured. The police also hit the three Spanish observers Emma Pomar Lax, Pilar Almundera Fortuno Aguiran and Isabel Terraza, along with many other Sahrawi citizens.

In his part, the Sahrawi human rights activist Neama Alasfari, a member of the delegation, said that the Wali [Governor] of the Prefecture and the Pasha had personally supervised the police operation and given instructions for the intervention.

Sultana Khaya, who was wounded in her eye, said the police had intended to arrest her this was prevented by the support of the Sahrawi citizens attending the reception.

Meanwhile there were violent clashes in Smara Avenue between Moroccan police elements in uniform and in civilian and dozens of Sahrawi citizens demonstrating in protest against the ban on approaching the residence of the activist. Hammad Hammad
El-Aiun Western Sahara
23.08.2010