Archive for April, 2009

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International call on UN to monitor occupied Western Sahara

28 April 2009 | Solidarity-Support

Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called upon the UN Security Council to expand the Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include human rights monitoring.

Amnesty: UNSC members should support independent human rights monitoring

28 April 2009 | Solidarity-Support

In a letter sent to members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Amnesty International called for the inclusion of a human rights monitoring component in the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), when it votes for its renewal on 30 April 2009. Amnesty International believes that independent monitoring of the human rights situation in Western Sahara, a territory annexed by Morocco in 1975, and the Tindouf camps under the authority of the Polisario Front in south-western Algeria is integral to ensuring the human rights protection of the populations.

Frontline: Torture and solitary confinement of human rights defender Mr Yahya Mohamed el Hafed Aaza

26 April 2009 | Solidarity-Support

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the torture and solitary confinement of human rights defender, Mr Yahya Mohamed el Hafed Aaza, who is currently being detained in Ayat-Melol prison. Yahya Mohamed el Hafed Aaza is a member of the Tan-Tan Branch of the Association Marocaine des Droits de l’Homme – AMDH (Moroccan Association of Human Rights), as well as a member of the constitutive assembly of the Collectif des Défenseurs Sahraouis des Droits de l’Homme – CODESA (Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights defenders).

Video: Testimony of Hayat Erguibi

14 April 2009 | Images and Video, Testimony

Morocco prevents Western Saharan rights activist from traveling to Ireland for meeting

14 April 2009 | Information/Update

Moroccan security services prevented Idegja Lachgar, member of the Executive Office of ASVDH to leave the airport of Casablanca heading to Cork in Ireland via Amsterdam Netherlands on 2 April. Providing flimsy justifications, one time that she does not have a visa, another time she does have tickets.
ASVDH refutes these false allegations, with copies of [...]

Moroccan authorities suspend pay of Sahrawi for promoting human rights

4 April 2009 | Information/Update

Mr Hammadi Zaibour, 35 years old, is married and father of a disabled child. He stated that his salary has been frozen by the Moroccan authorities since the month of February, following his indictment for the preparation of demonstrations demanding self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Moroccan prison guards beat Sahrawi prisoners

4 April 2009 | Information/Update

ASVDH learned yesterday (3 April 2009) that the Moroccan prison forces of Ait Meloul have intervened violently against the Sahrawi political prisoners Iazzi Yahya (sentenced to (15) years imprisonment), Salmi Mohammed, Elmoujahid Mayara, Mahmoud Elberkawi, Lehsen Lefkas, Najem Bouba, Charafi Salama and Bani Abdelghani (four (4) years imprisonment), and Oumar Lefki (serving a sentence of one year suspended last October by the court of first instance in Agadir). These prisoners were beaten and their belongings were destroyed including the medicines of Yhahia Iaza, who has a pulmonary disease. The ASVDH denounces this act, calls for protection of political prisoners and release them immediately.

Morocco bars Western Saharan former ‘disappeared’, rights activist from attending international conference

1 April 2009 | Information/Update

ASVDH strongly denounces the travel ban Morocco has placed on Mm Idagja Lachgar, member of the executive office of the ASVDH. This happened at the Mohammed V airport terminal 03. She was heading to Cork, Ireland, to take part at a conference organized by EDA Develepement Ethical Action, “Global Resource, Human Rights and Development: The Conflict of Western Sahara”.