SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 18/09/2005 (SPS)The World Organisation Against Torture (WOAT) expressed its "vivid concern about the physical and psychological integrity of Saharawi political prisoners in hunger strike since last August the 9th 2005", calling Moroccan Government to undertake the needed measures so as the hunger-strikers "can receive the adequate and free medical care, and their claims be fulfilled as soon as possible".

The WOAT stressed, in a press release publicised Friday, "on the deterioration of the health" of these Saharawi political prisoners, in hunger strike since 40 days so far. It launched a campaign of letters to the Moroccan authorities, calling for "the immediate release of all Saharawi prisoners in detention, who are imprisoned for no relevant charges and if they are accused of relevant charges ; to be introduce before a civil, independent and fair court with all the guarantees" accused persons legally have.

It also claimed for "a complete and impartial investigation on the circumstances of the ill-treatment and torture the prisoners were subjected to, so as to identify the persons accountable for these abuses, introduce them before of a civil, independent and fair court and punish them according to the legal or administrative laws".

The WOAT called ; on another hand, to the "guarantee of the respect of human rights and fundamental rights of the Saharawi population, conforming to the International Declaration for Human Rights and according to the International Human Rights Accords and Conventions".

This is the second time that the International Organisation Against Torture (IOAT) expressed its "preoccupation" about the " physical and psychological security and integrity of Saharawi political prisoners in hunger strike since last August the 9th 2005" in Moroccan prisons and called to an "urgent intervention" to save their lives.

In a letter addressed last August the 28th 2004 to the king of Morocco, Mohamed VI, the IOAT expressed "its preoccupation vis-à-vis the situation of Saharawi people as a whole and Saharawi political prisoners in particular", giving as an example the assassination under torture of 2 Saharawis, Chouihi Slimane and Bouceta Mohamed Barca, by the Moroccan authorities, respectively assassinated in April 2004 for the first and in November 2002 for the second. (SPS)

010/090/666/ALG/TRD 191616 sept 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/PRISONERS/SOLIDARITY
End in Barcelona of a hunger strike of solidarity with the 37Saharawi hunger-striking political prisoners

Barcelona, 18/09/2005 (SPS) A symbolical hunger strike, started by friends of Saharawi people in Catalonia in solidarity with the 37 Saharawi hunger-striking political prisoners ended Sunday at 12.00 after 24 hours fasting.

The Catalan hunger-strikers aim, thus, at rising the awareness of the international and Spanish public opinion about human rights’ violations in Western Sahara, call to the immediate release of the Saharawi hunger-strikers and exhort Zapatero’s Government to help in the release of these political prisoners, the organisers said.

The vice-President of the Catalonian Association of the Friends of the Saharawi people (CAPS), Mrs. Neus Canyelles, criticised in a statement to Spanish press agency, Europa Press, "the complete silence" of the Spanish Government in the face of the "repression" exercised against the Saharawi people. "They are selling rights in exchange of interests", she affirmed, according to the same source.

Representatives of Spanish Associations of Solidarity with Saharawi people from 17 Spanish autonomous regions started a 24 hours hunger strike in front of the seat of the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Wednesday at 12.00 (GMT+2) in Madrid, to denounce the maintain of 37 Saharawi political prisoners under detention, knowing that the latters are undertaking a hunger strike since last August the 9th in the different Moroccan prisons.

Amnesty International expressed concern, in a public statement publicised in its web site last August the 1st, 2005, about the arrest and detention of "six human rights defenders in Western Sahara". It called Moroccan authorities to investigate on cases of torture against Saharawi activists and to identify and bring to justice any official of the Moroccan colonial State that "have ordered, used or condoned torture".

"Amnesty International fears that the human rights activists have been arrested, tortured and put on trial because of their reporting on recent human rights violations. There had been earlier reports that local human rights defenders and journalists had been assaulted, harassed or intimidated by officials, and in some cases briefly detained", the statement put. (SPS)

010/090/666/ALG/TRD 181635 sept 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/PRISONERS/HEALTH
40 days of the hunger strike: Their lives are in danger but Saharawi political prisoners are determined to keep the strike

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 18/09/2005 (SPS) After 40 days of the hunger strike the 15 of the 37 Saharawi political prisoners are "under death threat", while "their determination is firm", according to their families, who organised last Thursday a sit-in in front of the seat of the Moroccan colonial court in El Aaiun, claiming for the immediate release of their sons.

"All of them lost half their weight and the majority was transferred at least once to hospitals while unconscious to be reanimated", indicated the families in a press release SPS received Sunday.

Mrs. Aminetou Haidar, for instance, lost consciousness many times last week and she is suffering from many chronic diseases she has because of the repeated imprisonments she underwent, added to the hunger strike, for the 40th day so far. "Her life is really endangered", according to eye witnesses who were able to visit her in the Carcel negra (Blacl Prison) of El Aaiun in the beginning of last week.

On his part, Mr. Ali Salem Tamek suffers a serious fever for the 5th day. He was transferred to the hospital of Ait Melloul (Morocco), when he lost consciousness. He refused to take medicines when he got conscious fearing for his mental safety, because he was threatened many times by Moroccan authorities to be transferred to a psychiatric clinic.

In the Oukacha Prison (Casablanca), Moroccan authorities denied the visit to the families of Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activists, in hunger strike, Brahim Noumria, Mohamed El Moutawakil and Lidri El Hussein. Their states of health is catastrophic according to their families who stay awaiting, in front of the doors of the prison, for permission to visit their sons.

Last week, the families of the 37 Saharawi political prisoners, in hunger strike since last August the 8 in Moroccan prisons, launched an appeal asking all lovers of justice to help their sons, who are "dying slowly under Moroccan authorities of occupation’s complete indifference".

"We reaffirm, anew, the continuity of the hunger strike and the serious situation of the hunger-strikers that may cause a tragedy because of the negative and inhuman handling by some Moroccan officials, especially the Moroccan Minister of Justice who does not stop spreading false information", indicated the text in response to a press release by the Minister denying the existence of Saharawi hunger-strikers.

Many organisations such as Amnesty international, the International Organisation Against Torture, European Parliamentarian, Congressmen and many political personalities expressed their preoccupation about the physical and psychological security and integrity of Saharawi political prisoners in hunger strike in Moroccan prisons and call to their immediate release, it should be recalled.

The President of the Saharawi Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, asked the leaders of the world, recently meeting in the 60th Summit of the UN in New York, to "urgently intervene" to "save the endangered lives" of these prisoners, estimating that without such an action these persons "may probably die", it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/000/ALG/TRD 181832 sept 05 SPS