Moroccan authorities detain Sahrawi rights defender, Naama Asfari

15 Aug 2009 | Information/Update

Naama Asfari

The Moroccan authorities have arrested Thursday evening around 22.00 the human rights defender and vice president of the French Committee for the respect of Freedom and Human Rights in the Western Sahara (CORELSO), Mr Naama Asfari, at the checkpoint north of the city of Tan Tan in southern Morocco.

In a telephone conversation with ASVDH, Mrs. Claude Mangin, wife of Mr. Neaama, indicated that signs of beatings on his body can be seen and his glasses were broken.

He will be presented tomorrow before of the Moroccan prosecutor of the king at 12h00 but the charges against him are not fully understood.

ASVDH fears that the agreession against Mr Asfari is revenge against his political positions and his human rights activities. In particular, the security chief of the city, Mustafa Kamour, is one of the officers involved in a series of violations committed against dozens of Saharans citizens in the city of El-Aaiun, Western Sahara.