Statement from Sahrawi Associations and Committee

14 Jul 2007 | Statements

Saturday, July 14, 2007
Western Sahara

Today, Saturday, July 14, 2007, the Moroccan State released the Sahrawi political prisoner and human rights activist, Mr. Yahdid TARROUZI, after having completed a ten months imprisonment effect, pronounced by Court of Appeal in El-Ayoune-Western Sahara, on June 26, 2007.

While presenting our congratulation to Mr. Yahdih TARROUZI for regaining his forcibly raped freedom, we remind the international community about the sufferance of Sahrawi political prisoners, and those among them who are leading an open hunger strike to demand their legitimate rights and to be treated as political prisoners, especially the Sahrawi students, imprisoned in the civil prison of Sale – Morocco- who are leading a hunger strike since Friday June 10, 2007.

Also, we raise the attention of international organizations defending human rights towards the inhuman conditions of those detainees, and what threatens their lives, whether as a result of their situation or as a result of this open strike. And the tragedy of Sahrawi common right, Mr. Dada Ali Ould Hamma Ould Nafaa, who died following illness that has plagued him in prison under the indifference of the administration of the prison and its refusal to provide him with the necessary treatment for being a Sahrawi, is still present in our memories.

We also point out that the Sahrawi students, imprisoned in the local prison of Marrakesh-Morocco, will appear before the Court of Appeal of the same city on July 16, 2007, including the Sahrawi student, Sultana KHAYA who has lost her right eye. Those students have previously been condemned by the Court of First Authority to sentences ranging between six months and one year of imprisonment in effect.

Accordingly, we, the associations and committees signed below, declare to the international and local public opinion:

1- Our sincere congratulations to the Sahrawi political prisoner released from jail, Yahdih TARROUZI, and to his family
2- Our call to the Moroccan State to open a serious dialogue with the Sahrawi political prisoners on hunger strike and respond to their legitimate demands
3- We hold the Moroccan State responsible of the repercussions of the hunger strike waged by the Sahrawi political detainees in a number of Moroccan prisons so as to improve the conditions of their detention and their treatment as political detainees
4- our call to the international human rights organizations to work for the release of all Sahrawi political detainees, including some human rights activists
5- We call the United Nations to work for the protection of Sahrawi citizens, from its legal responsibility on the territory of Western Sahara

Signatures:

1- Sahrawi Association for Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights committed by the Moroccan State
2- Sahrawi Committee for support to self-determination in Western Sahara
3- Committee for the Protection of the Sahrawi prisoners in Moroccan prisons
4- Committee against torture in Dakhla – Western Sahara
5- Sahrawi Committee for the defence of the Human Rights in Smara – Western Sahara
6- Sahrawi Committee for the support to the United Nations settlement plan and for the protection of natural resources in Western Sahara