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Danish Parliament questions its government about the deplorable situation of human rights in Western Sahara

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Copenhagen (Denmark) 8 April 2016 - The Danish Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee questioned recently the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kristian Jensen about the poor conditions of prisons in Western Sahara.
 
The former UN rapporteur deplores human rights situation in Western Sahara jails.
 
Former chair of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mads Andenæs, calls the human rights situation in Western Sahara 'very depressing'.
 
Former head of the UN Working Group for Arbitrary Detention, Mads Andenæs, was interviewed 2 March, by Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen on his impression of the human rights in Western Sahara.
 
Andenæs was leading the working group's delegation to Morocco and Western Sahara in December 2013 and visited numerous prisons. Their report was published by the UN Human Rights Council 4 August 2014.
 
«It is a very depressing situation there, which is only turning for the worse», Andenæs told Klassekampen.
 
Andenæs stated to Klassekampen that torture «is brutal reality for the people who fight for justice in Western Sahara. People die in jail, while central countries in the West are not critical enough to Morocco».  He underlined in particular that Spain is "supporting the regime in Morocco."
 
The Foreign Affairs Committee has asked the Foreign Minister: “What is the Minister's comments to the UN report's conclusions?” “What can the Danish government do to influence the unacceptable conditions in prisons in occupied Western Sahara?”  And “Will the Minister directly or through EU criticize the prisons conditions which Morocco assumes direct responsibility?”
 
The Minister’s response was: “The government has taken note of the conclusions of the report of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary detention by August 2014.” (SPS)
 
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