SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Caracas, 12/09/2005 (SPS) The President of the National Institute of Venezuelan Woman (INAMUJER- in Spanish), María León, expressed the preoccupation of her organisation about the state of health of the Saharawi political prisoner, Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, last Saturday in a letter she addressed to the Embassy of Morocco in Caracas. She called Rabat to release the Saharawi human rights activists with no more delay, indicated a source in the Saharawi embassy in Caracas.

"The INAMUJER demanded information from the Moroccan Government on the state of health of Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, as well as on the conditions of her detention", the same source added underlining that the Institute "called Rabat to release the Saharawi activist and her comrades, who are detained because they claimed for a legitimate right that is guaranteed to them in the UN’s Charter and international law, and which was promised to them by the international community in the UN Security Council’s resolutions as well as in the General Assembly’s of the same international organisation, to name the right to self-determination".

The next day, Sunday 11 September, the direction of the Institution gathered in a special meeting, under the chairmanship of Mrs. León, which was dedicated to discuss the situation of the Saharawi political prisoners, especially Mrs. Haidar.

"In this meeting, the members of the Institute decided to undertake a set of actions in favour of the release of Saharawi political prisoners, and they constituted a Venezuelan Committee for the release of Aminatou Haidar and all Saharawi political prisoners on hunger strike for the 35^th day so far", the same source indicated.

Saharawi human rights activist and political detainee in the Carcel Negra (Black Prison in El Aaiun), Aminatou Haidar, who is undertaking a hunger strike like all other Saharawi political prisoners in the different Moroccan prisons since last August the 8, lost consciousness on Saturday &à of September, for the 2nd time in less than 8 days, reported SPS’s correspondent on the ground.

Mrs. Haidar lost consciousness, for the first time, last Wednesday th 07^th of September 2005. She is suffering from a general deterioration in her health and refuses any medical care from Moroccan doctors "known by their complicity with Moroccan repressive authorities", it should be recalled.

Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, was savagely brutalised by the Moroccan Group of Urban Security last June the 17th in the street before been tortured in the main police station in El Aaiun. She had 14 stitches at the level of her head besides many injuries because of the torture and wasp ut in jail without having medical care she needed, it should be recalled.

After the harassment of her family, her sons and pants were expulsed from their house 2 days after her arrest (19 June 2005). She was presented before the colonial court under high surveillance, iniquitously judged and sentenced to prison.

On another hand, The European Parliament’s intergroup "friendship with Saharawi people" nominated Saharawi human rights activist, Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, anew to the Sajarov Human Rights’ Award. (SPS)

SPS
POLITICAL PRISONERS/MOROCCO/HUNGER STRIKE

The state of Saharawi political prisoners: Noumria Brahim lost consciousness for 3 hours

Casablanca (Morocco), 12/09/2005 (SPS) Saharawi human rights activist, Noumria Brahim, on hunger strike in the Oukacha Prison in Casablanca since last August the 8 like all Saharawi political prisoners in the different Moroccan prisons, lost consciousness for 3 hours and has considerably lost weight, indicated reliable sources.

40 years old, the political prisoner weight no more than 45 Kg, indicated concordant sources. "He suddenly lost consciousness for three hours Saturday, and he suffers many diseases having been abducted and detained 4 times before in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1991. He became unable to move and can hardly speak now", the same source indicated.

Mr. Noumria was abducted last July the 20th 2005 with 2 other human rights activist from the house Mrs. Fatma Ayach, another activist who is engaged in the defence of human rights in Western Sahara.

Along with Saharawi human rights activists, Lidri Houssein and Laarbi Massoud, he was submitted to the worst methods of torture and abuses since his arrest last July the 20, according to their own testimonies.

They were beaten and underwent the most horrible methods of tortures. "They tied their feet and their hands behind and with heavy weight on their backs they are suspended horizontally with an iron bar", or they are attached "like a sausage on a long table and they put the victims head in a mixture of detergent and urine to asphyxiate him". Other method is the use of electricity on the sensitive organs of the corp, "suspension in the position the 'roosted chicken'' for hours", in the secret torture buildings of PC-CMI (a secret detention camp) in El Aaiun, it was indicated.

He was abducted again from his cell in the Carcel Negra in El Aaiun last August the 1st, along with 4 other Saharawi human rights activists, Ali Salem Tamek, Mohamed El Moutawakil, Houssein Lidri et Larbi Messoud, and transported in inhuman conditions to be detained in Oukacha Prison in Casablanca.

Amnesty International launched a campaign of letters to be sent to the Morocan Ministry of Justice for the release of 7 Saharawi human rights activists, who are detained without judgment in the different Moroccan prisons because of their activities of defence of human rights in the occupied territories o Western Sahara and their open expression in favour o the independence o their country and in favour o the respect o the international legality in the resolution of the conflict that opposes Morocco to Saharawi people since the Moroccan military invasion o the territory in 1975, te should be recalled. (SPS)

060/090/ALG 122024 sept 05 SPS