|
|
|
SPS 05.07.05
|
|
El Aaiun (occupied Capital of SADR),
05/07/2005 (SPS) A Norwegian delegation, chaired by the President of
the RAFTO Foundation, Arne Lynngård, and composed of 4 other
members, is about to be expelled from the occupied Capital of Western
Sahara, El Aaiun, by the Moroccan authorities of occupation, reported a
press release issued today morning by the Norwegian Support Committee
for Western Sahara.
"A high level Norwegian delegation is at this moment (between 00.00 GMT
04/07/2005 to 01.00 GMT 05/07/2005) about to be expelled from Western
Sahara by Moroccan authorities", the text said.
The delegation, the text added, reached El Aaiun in Western Sahara
Monday morning "in order to attend court proceedings that will commence
tomorrow, Tuesday 5 July" against Saharawi political prisoners,
arrested during peaceful demonstrations organised by Saharawi
population in different periods during the months of May and June 2005,
to claim for the independence of their country and demand the respect
of human rights.
The delegation, which was interrogated by Moroccan police for three
hours this evening until the morning of Tuesday the press release
indicates, was told by the chief of police in El Aaiun that it will be
expelled from Western Sahara.
The members of the delegation are still preparing for their departure
that will be carried out by taxi to Morocco, it was indicated.
"Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed about the
episode", the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara said,
demanding that "the Norwegian government condemns Morocco’s behaviour
towards both Saharawi civilians and independent observers", the press
release wrote.
Once expelled, this delegation will be the fifth international
delegation to be expelled from the occupied capital of El Aaiun in the
last five weeks.
Last June the 26th the fourth delegation Moroccan colonial authorities
expulsed from El Aaiun’s airport, was composed of Andalusan
parliamentarians and representatives of civil society.
"It seems that they have something to hide", said a local official from
Madrid, who was one of the members of the third delegation, composed of
parliamentarians from Madrid, Moroccan authorities expulsed last June
the 5th.
A second delegation composed of Catalonian Parliament members basically
was expelled to Canary Islands last June the 8, the members of the
delegation were not allowed to get off their plane, while another
delegation from Asturias was expulsed last June the 19, it should be
recalled.
Since the 21st of May, violent confrontations between Moroccan forces
of repression and Saharawi people, who were claiming for the respect of
human rights and their rights to self-determination and independence.
The confrontations resulted in dozens injured people, prisoners and
disappeared in El Aaiun, Smara, Boujador, Dajla (Western Sahara) or in
Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca (Morocco), it should be recalled.
(SPS)
060/090/ALG 050115 Jul 05 SPS
|
SPS
|
|
Madrid, 05/07/2005 (SPS) Spanish
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Marotinos, said that his
country defends "Saharawi people’s right to self-determination", in a
statement to the Spanish Radio "Onda Cero", reproduced by Spanish press
agency, Europa Press.
Mr. Moratinos said that Spanish Government’s position "is very clear,
to defend Saharawi people’s right to self-determination", adding that
there are two parties "defined by the United Nations, and not by
Spanish diplomacy", Polisario Front and Morocco. Further, he said, the
two parties must be helped through dialogue "so as to find a solution"
within the framework of the UN, which "engenders stability and
prosperity for the entire vital zone for Spanish interests".
Moreover, the Head of the Spanish diplomacy stressed that "if we have
these three elements, Saharawi people rights, political dialogue
between the parties, and the leadership of the UN, I think then there
will be no confusion". (SPS)
010/SRT/600/ALG/TRD 050835 Jul 05 SPS
|
SPS
|
|
El Aaiun (occupied Capital of SADR),
05/07/2005 (SPS) Moroccan authorities of occupation expelled, Tuesday
at 02.00 GMT, a Norwegian delegation from the occupied territories of
Western Sahara, reported a press release by Norwegian Support Committee
for Western Sahara, of which SPS received a copy.
"At 02.00 GMT, this morning (Tuesday), a Norwegian delegation was
expelled, from Western Sahara by Moroccan authorities", the press
release said.
The delegation, which entered the territory yesterday morning, coming
from Moroccan city "Casablanca", was led by the chair of the RAFTO
Foundation, Arne Lynngård, accompanied by representatives of the
Norwegian Labour Party, the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General
Employees (Trade Union), as well as two members of the same Norwegian
Support Committee for Western Sahara.
Being received by some Saharawi human rights activists Monday morning,
Moroccan authorities proceeded the same day at 17.30 GMT to the
abduction of Saharawi human rights’ defender, Allal Latif, after he has
accompanied the Norwegian delegation in his car to their hotel, (Hotel
Negjir, where UN’s Mission members live), in El Aaiun.
The victim was conducted by secret police agents and was "questioned on
the agenda of his Norwegian guests", the press release adds.
After getting the information, the members of the Norwegian delegation
went to the police station in El Aaiun, to demand the release of the
activist, but "Moroccan chief of police denied to the delegation that
they had him in their custody", the text underlines.
"The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara fears for Latif’s
safety and demands his immediate and unconditional release", the text
said, affirming that several Saharawi prisoners, mainly human rights
activists "have been severely tortured during the last weeks" by
Moroccan authorities of occupation.
25 police officers participated to the kicking out of the delegation,
which resisted being expelled as long as possible, demanding Latif’s
reappearance. SPS’s correspondent on the ground said a member of the
delegation, Rony Henssen, "may have been lightly injured after police
intervention to expulse him by force".
At 02.00 GMT, the chief of police personally intervened, forcing the
members of the delegation into the awaiting taxis that will take them
to Moroccan territory in the north under police surveillance, the same
source added.
Further, "some 200 police troops were observed waiting in the area
outside the hotel, probably expecting subsequent demonstrations by the
Saharawis. A Spanish photographer working for the newspaper ABC
documented the entire episode", but "his camera was later confiscated",
the Norwegian Committee emphasised.
Today mooring, at 04…00 GMT, "the delegation crossed the border to
Morocco. The group has police escort all the way back to Agadir. They
are expected to arrive around 12.00 GMT", the press release concluded.
This is the fifth international delegation to be expelled from the
occupied capital of El Aaiun in the last five weeks.
Last June the 26th the fourth delegation Moroccan colonial authorities
expulsed from El Aaiun’s airport, was composed of Andalusan
parliamentarians and representatives of civil society.
"It seems that they have something to hide", said a local official from
Madrid, who was one of the members of the third delegation, composed of
parliamentarians from Madrid, Moroccan authorities expulsed last June
the 5th.
A second delegation composed of Catalonian Parliament members basically
was expelled to Canary Islands last June the 8, the members of the
delegation were not allowed to get off their plane, while another
delegation from Asturias was expulsed last June the 19, it should be
recalled.
Since the 21st of May, violent confrontations between Moroccan forces
of repression and Saharawi people, who were claiming for the respect of
human rights and their rights to self-determination and independence.
The confrontations resulted in dozens injured people, prisoners and
disappeared in El Aaiun, Smara, Boujador, Dajla (Western Sahara) or in
Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca (Morocco), it should be recalled.
(SPS)
060/090/ALG 051128 Jul 05 SPS
Annexe
For further comments, please contact
the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara:
Ronny Hansen, (member to the
expuled delegation, on his way to Agadir) tel +47 92808607
Rolf Wermundsen, (member to the expuled delegationon his way to Agadir) tel +47 93041983.
Sigmund Valberg, (in Norway) tel +47 41045637
|
SPS
|
|
El Aaiun (occupied territories), 05/07/2005 (SPS) The occupied capital
of Western Sahara, El Aaiun, lives in an atmosphere of effervescence
and terror after the presentation of 15 young Saharawis before of
colonial judicial authorities Tuesday , for having participated to
peaceful demonstrations last May in El Aaiun.
15 out of 16 Saharawi detainees were presented before of the court in
three groups, while the 16th detainee, Daoudi Mouloud, could not be
presented because he is hospitalised and will be operated because of
torture, indicated sources close to his family.
The defence evoked many exactions in the procedures, especially the
iniquitous aspect of the judgments in the face of which the defence
were not given time to study the charges. The defence then declared i
twill leave court, what forced the judge to postpone the trial to next
Tuesday, it was indicated.
Getting into the room of the court, in which there was a notable
absence of the members of their families, the prisoners started
chanting slogans claiming for Saharawi people right to
self-determination and calling for the withdrawal of the Moroccan
colonising forces.
The colonial authorities, it should be noted, are in the extremity of
confusion. The city is sealed and Moroccan authorities proceeded
earlier to the expulsion of a Norwegian delegation composed of five
members by force, knowing that the delegation was chaired by RAFTO
Foundation’s President. The delegation was planning to attend these
show trials.
The colonial authorities had also arrested a Saharawi singer, M'Barek
Maainiya, who glorified through songs that glorifies in the courageous
and heroic actions of the last Intifada. He is still reported missing,
according to sources close to his family. (SPS)
010/SRT/000/ALG/TRD Jul 05 SPS
|
SPS
|
|
El Aaiun (occupied capital of SADR),
05/07/2005 (SPS) 15 Saharawi political detainees, presented Tuesday
morning in three groups, before of Moroccan colonial court in the
occupied city of l Aaiun, refused to recognise "Moroccan colonial
justice". They declared "the Moroccan accusations" unfounded and
calling for the respect of their rights as political prisoners,
reported SPS’s correspondent on the ground.
"They penetrate the room (the court) wearing their Darraas (Saharawi
traditional clothes). They declared to the court that they are not
Moroccans and that they do recognise any competence to this ‘colonial
court’, which is accusing them of being members of an armed groups,
while they did only participate in peaceful demonstrations that were
organised in the occupied territories claiming for the independence of
their country conforming to the international legality", the same
source said.
On their part, the lawyers decided to leave the court because of the
lack of "legal guarantees and lack of legitimacy in the ‘Moroccan
justice’ between brackets", declared to SPS a lawyer asking for
confidentiality.
"This is not the first time that Moroccan court imposes on us this kind
of illegal trials. First there is a violation of the legal procedures
of pursuit, arrest and investigation. The accusations then are not
based on any proofs, witnesses do not exist, the victims, all the
victims underwent torture, and by the way one of the prisoners, who
should have been the 16th to be presented today, was unable to come,
why? Because of reasons of health!! They say!", said the lawyer
indignant.
The lawyers unanimously refused "to participate in this bad piece of
drama, especially that Moroccan authorities are very bad actors, and
we, lawyers working on human rights violations, we are on the borders
of our patience. It is simply impossible to tolerate these abuses and
despise of law and international legality", he added.
Due to the decision of the Lawyers, the chairmanship of the court
declared that it will designate other lawyers to the prisoners, but the
15 victims unanimously declared their rejection of this decision and
started chanting slogans such as "Long live Polisario", "Long live
SADR" among other slogans.
"The court did have no other alternative but to postpone the trial to
the next July the 12th", SPS’s correspondent said. (SPS)
060/090/ALG 052004 Jul 05 SPS
|
|
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE