SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

haut de page

SPS
AUSTRALIA/OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/INTIFADA
An Australian Parliament member indignant about the passivity of the UN in front of Moroccan repression of the Intifada in El Aaiun

Sydney (Australia), 28/05/2005 (SPS) The President of the Legislative Council of the New South Wells Parliament (Australia), The Honourable Dr. Meredith Burgmann, expressed on Friday in Sydney, her indignation about the passivity of the UN in front of the bloody repression perpetrated by Moroccan colonial authorities against Saharawi population, which is in Intifada from last Monday in occupied territories of Western Sahara, reported close sources to the Australia Australia Western Sahara Association (AWSA).

In an open letter, she read in a gathering of Australians, Mrs. Burgmann underlined that "it is unacceptable that these grave human rights abuses take place in front of the eyes of the UN", without reaction nor condemnation from the international organisation.

"We call on the UN and its mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to urge Morocco to end its repression of Saharawis and fix a date for the referendum for self-determination " for the Saharawi people, she said.

The letter, "agreed by consensus by all those present (to the event). This letter will be sent to the UN, the Australian Government and to the Saharawi people living in the occupied territory of Western Sahara", AWSA said.

The text also called the Australian Government "to ask Morocco to stop human rights abuses in the occupied areas of Western Sahara and respect the UN resolutions calling for a referendum for self-determination in Western Sahara."

"As Australians we have experienced the importance of international solidarity in achieving independence and justice for the people of East Timor. We stand strongly in our support for the right of the Saharawi people of Western Sahara to that same opportunity for self-determination", she concluded.

AWSA organised Friday activities to raise awareness about the Saharawi question, in margin of the “Landmine Week ". The event included a screening of a documentary and an exhibition of paintings by Saharawi artists and pictures which reflect life in the Saharawi refugee camps.

Saharawi Representative to Australia, Mr. Kamal Fadel, animated a conference gave an update about the current situation of the Intifada, already on going for 6 days in El Aaiun, South Morocco and in Moroccan universities, the same source indicated. (SPS)

060/090/000 281222 MAI 05 SPS

haut de page

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/DEMONSTRATION/TRIALS
A group of detainees of El Aaiun demonstrations presented before of the committing magistrate

El Aaiun (occupied territories), 28/05/2005 (SPS) A group of 25 detainees, who participated to the demonstrations of El Aaiun last Monday and Tuesday, were presented before of the Moroccan committing magistrate on Saturday and led back to prison, indicated to SPS a close source to Saharawi activists on the ground.

Two of the activists, Mr. Salek Bazeid and Fadili Abeih, who were trying to attend the audience of the group, were mistreated by the police in front of the building of the first hearing Court in El Aaiun, while the families of the victims were forcibly expelled, it was indicated.

Mr. Fadili Abeih was arrested and led to the police station to get out one hour later in a very bad state after having been subjected to physical torture. Mr Bazeid, President of the Committee for the Protection of the Prisoners of the Carcel Negra (Black Prison in El Aaiun), was beaten in the street by the GUS (Urban Group of Security), according to the same source. (His arm was broken)

Three other activists, Arbi Massoud, Lakhal Mohamed Salem and Ahmed Sbaii, got safely out of these confrontations with the police.

GUS proceeded last Friday to the kidnapping of Saharawi activist, Hamoudi Iguilid, President of the Section of El Aaiun of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), at about 4 a.m GMT to be release in the evening of the same day.

Another Saharawi activist, and ex-political prisoner, El Gaoudi Mohamed Fadel (47 years), was threatened of arrest and rape by the same GUS, it should be recalled. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 282015 Mai 05 SPS

haut de page

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/MANIPULATIONS
A Moroccan ministerial delegation gets ready to a Medias visit to El Aaiun

Rabat, 28/05/2005 (SPS) A Moroccan ministerial delegation led by the Minister of Interior, will organised a medias visit to El Aaiun so as to minimise, via well chosen press, the horrors of the bloody confrontations that opposed last Monday and Tuesday Saharawi demonstrators to Moroccan repressive forces, reported concordant sources.

In reinforcement to the Auxiliary Forces and GUS already on the ground, unities of the Moroccan army was massively deployed so as to surround and control the city and prevent any possible uprising, it was indicated.

The correspondent of the Spanish television, TVE, who covered the Saharawi students demonstrations in Rabat last Thursday, and who moved to El Aaiun was not allowed to work on the ground with his team, while the correspondent of Al Jazeera and a journalist of Moroccan weekly Assahifa were expelled from the El Aaiun Airport.

The demonstrations that opposed Saharawi population and Moroccan repressive forces in El Aaiun, Smara, Dajla, Assa, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakech, caused, following temporary lists of the victims and damages, more than 150 persons injured, tens arrests and disappeared. The demonstrators raised claims for self-determination and independence of their country, under occupation since 1975. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 282331 may 05 SPS

haut de page