SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/INTIFADA/DEMONSTRATION
Demonstrators in El Aaiun calls on the UN to the protection of Saharawi population from Moroccan repression

El Aaiun (occupied capital of SADR), 18/07/2005 (SPS) Saharawi population in El Aaiun demonstrated in Maatallah neighbourhood claiming for UN’s immediate intervention for the protection of their legitimate rights to self-determination, the release of the Saharawi political detainees and the opening of an international investigation, under the auspices of the UN, on the Moroccan violations of human rights in Western Sahara.

"At 12.30 GMT, Saharawi living in the Maatallah neighbourhood and dozens other Saharawis coming from the four sides of the occupied city, gathered in the middle of the neighbourhood to protest against Moroccan violations of the political, social and economical rights of the Saharawi people", indicated the correspondent of SPS on the ground.

"We demand the opening of an investigation on the violations of human rights we were victim to lately; the release of all Saharawi political prisoners; the arrest and judgment of the torturers and persons accountable for the systematic violations of human rights in the occupied territories, the implementation of the peace plan for the self-determination of the Saharawi people and the immediate intervention of the UN to protect the Saharawi people against the Moroccan barbarous repression. These are the claims of this demonstration", indicated a demonstrator to SPS.

The protest also intervenes in reaction to the "humiliating attempts of the new Wali (colonial Governor) to blackmail us with household electrical appliances as an indemnity of the destruction of our houses and goods during the heinous raids perpetrated by Moroccan colonial authorities against the Saharawi population in the occupied cities last May and June", the same source added.

Moroccan authorities violently intervened few time after as usual, beating, ill-treating and arresting some demonstrators of whom Mrs. Taslam Lallaha, was identified.

"The city of El Aaiun is submitted to a suffocating state of siege", said SPS’s correspondent, "neighbourhoods, streets and avenues are submitted to the permanent control of the agents of the multiple corpses of repression, who control and harass the population, especially for the human rights’ activists who are the main targets of the repression lately". (SPS)

060/090/110 181942 juin 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/REPRESSION/Lead
Arrest of Ali Salem Tamek in the airport of El Aaiun (addition to the lead)

El Aaiun (ocupied territories), 18/07/2005 (SPS) Moroccan colonial authorities arrested this Monday at 16.00 (GMT) in El Aaiun, the symbol of Saharawi human rights’ defenders, Ali Salem Tamek, reported SPS’s correspondent on the ground.

Coming in regular flight from Spain, where he was having medical care because of the multiple diseases he got in Moroccan prisons, the victim was transported in a car of the criminal police to an unknown destination.

All the corps of repression were present, (GUS, Gendarme, DST, DGED and rangers) in the airport of the city, the same source indicated.

Six Saharawi human rights defenders, who came to receive Tamek, were denied entry to the airport and were expelled manu militari, so as not to attend the abduction, it was said.

Imminent human rights’ defender in Western Sahara, who underwent three sentences of imprisonment in 1993, 1997 and 2003 respectively to five years, two months and 1 year 4 months. The man organised 17 hunger strikes only during his last detention. 29 years old, married and father to a girl, Tamek was Secretary General of the Section Assa Zag of the Democratic Confederation of Labour (CDT- in French), active member to the National Council of the Moroccan Organisation of Human Rights (OMDH- in French).

The beginning of Mars, the Saharawi human rights activist and former political prisoner, Ali Salem Tamek, is carrying a visit to Europe so as to raise European public opinion’s awareness on Moroccan authorities’ flagrant human rights violations in occupied territories of Western Sahara and south Morocco.

In Geneva, the Saharawi activist met with people in charge of diverse organisations of human rights’ defence like the High Commissioner for human rights of the United Nations, the International Committee against Torture (CAT), the International Federation of Human rights (FIDH) and the International Office for the Respect of Human rights in the Western Sahara (BIRDHSO).

In Brussels, M. Tamek, also President of the local committee of support to the international campaign for human rights’ protection in the Western Sahara, has been received in the seat of the European Parliament, in May the 3rd 4th, by deputies of different countries, especially from Austria, Spain and Sweden among others. He also met with representatives of diverse political groups within the European Parliament. He also held other meetings with people in charge of human rights' organisations, mainly with the Co-ordinator of Amnesty International in Brussels.

The Committee for Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of deputies received Tamek last 27th May for a hearing. He undertook a round after that in many Spanish regions so as to arise the awareness of the public opinion on the human rights’ violations in Western Sahara. He was awarded the Andalusan Price for Solidarity, "Juan Antonio Gonzalez Caraballo", last July the 10th. (SPS)

010/090/100 182032 Jul 05 SPS