URGENT APPEAL: human rights defender, ASVDH activist arrested

27 Jul 2007 | Urgent Appeals

El-Ayoune – Western Sahara

The Moroccan authorities in Guelmime (southern Morocco) arrested today, Friday, July 27, 2007, Mr. Sadik BOULLAHI, born in 1958 and father of two children, member of the executive committee of ASVDH, and survivor of the secret prison of Kalaat M’Gouna where he spent 10 years in company of Mr. Brahim SABBAR. Mr. BOULLAHI committed himself, since his release in 1991, to defend human rights and to reveal the truth of the crimes against humanity that the Moroccan State committed in Western Sahara, as he is one of first founders of the movement of the human rights in the territories under the administration of Morocco, which made its first steps in 1994.

Mr. BOULLAHI who was at the police station in Guelmime to deposit a declaration of loss of his papers was surprised by his arrest under the pretext that he was sought by the police force. In this respect we point out that the Moroccan authorities have launched an “all points bulletin” against a group of the members of the ASVDH, the last case was Mr. Mohamed TAHLIL, who was arrested at the border on his return from Mauritania on July 16.

This arrest reinforces the policy of strangulation which the Moroccan State practises against ASVDH. At this moment several members of the association are imprisoned in the black prison in El-Ayoune for false charges. In the same way, ASVDH still could not manage to work in accordance with the law in force because of the persistence of the Moroccan authorities to refuse to recognise its right to be registered.

In this respect, ASVDH launches an urgent appeal to the international community and the international organizations of the human rights to act urgently with an aim of releasing Mr. Sadik BOULLAHI and making pressure on the Moroccan State to put an end to the continuous intimidations, harassments and arrests against members of the association.