On eve of rights defender’s release, capital of Western Sahara under Moroccan seige

16 Jun 2008 | Information/Update, Political Prisoners

Brahim SABBAR

Since yesterday (Sunday, June 15, 2008) the occupied capital of Western Sahara has been under an intense state of siege. Moroccan security forces are concentrated in different neighborhoods, streets and alleys in very large numbers. The Moroccan security forces also launched a campaign of arrests among young Western Saharan people. Yesterday two were detained, Mr. Mohamed BERKAN and Mr. Baiba ANDOUR, who were not released until late in the night. The same forces have also arrested a young Sahrawi, Mr. Ghafour Walid, who was subjected to beatings, insults and threats.

This security siege comes in the context of the anniversary of the Intifada of Zemla (June 17, 1970), which saw many native Western Saharans demonstrate for independence, only to be gunned down by Spanish colonial forces. This is also the day that Western Saharan nationalist leader, Mr. Mohamed Sidi Brahim BASSIRI, was abducted by the Spanish authorities and whose fate is still unknown to this day.

Coinciding with the anniversary of the Intifada of Zemla, the Western Saharan human rights defender and prisoner of opinion, ASVDH Secretary-General, Mr. Brahim SABBAR, will be released tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17, 2008, after having spent two years of arbitrary detention in the Moroccan ‘Black Prison’ of occupied El-Ayoune.

On this occasion, ASVDH expresses its joy and happiness that Mr. SABBAR will regain his freedom, and it expresses also its warmest congratulations to the family of SABBAR and all his comrades and friends. ASVDH, also, congratulates Mr. Ennaâma ASFAI (who appears today, Monday, June 16, 2008, before the Court of Appeal in Marrakesh, Morocco) for regaining his freedom and congratulates too all the members of his family and his comrades and friends. Lastly, ASVDH recalls the case of its Chairman of the local branch in Boujdour, Mr. Mohamed TAHLIL, who is still under detention with dozens of other Western Saharan political prisoners — including human rights defenders — in several prisons. ASVDH calls for their immediate and unconditional release.