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SPS 28.07.05
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Madrid, 28/07/2005 (SPS) Hundreds
persons gathered, Wednesday evening, in front of Moroccan Embassy in
Madrid to denounce "the brutal repression" that prevails in Western
Sahara an to demand the release of Saharawis detained during the
demonstrations that took place to claim for the respect of human rights
ain Western Sahara and Saharawi people right to self-determination.
During the demonstration - which was organised in response to the
petition of the Association of the friends of the Saharawi people in
Madrid – the demonstrators, in their majority Spanish, chanted slogans
of support to the Saharawi cause: ''Free Sahara'', ''30 years are
enough, self-determination referendum now'' and ''Long live Saharawi
people’s struggle''.
The demonstrators raised pictures of Saharawi human rights activists in
Moroccan prisons, such as Ali Salem Tamek, Aminatou Haidar, Hmad
Hammad, Brahim Noumria et Lidri el Houcine.
The President of the State Coordination of the Association of
friendship and solidarity with the Saharawi people (CEAS-Sahara),
José Taboada, declared to the press that the aim behind the
demonstration is ''to denounce human rights’ violations in Western
Sahara''.
''Morocco reacts with complete impunity in the Sahara. Here nobody
raise the voice to say that 30 years of occupation are more than
enough. We want tha the Spanish Government react and do something for a
population that was delivered to the Moroccan occupation and who only
asks for an opportunity to freely decide over its future''.
''Why doesn’t the Government denounce human rights violations in
Western Sahara? We want that the Head of the Government (José
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero), who decided the withdrawal of the Spanish
troops from Iraq on the basis of the support of the majority of Spanish
people to this decision, why doesn’t he adopt this same principle in
Western Sahara'', affirmed Mr. Taboada.
According to a recent poll undertaken by the Spanish "Institut royal
Elcano", 72 % of Spanish people are in favour of an independent Western
Sahara.
The President of the CEAS-Sahara indicated that a similar demonstration
will be organised every month in front of the Moroccan Embassy to
denounce the situation of occupation and repression Saharawi people are
living.
On his part, the Representative of Polisario Front in the autonomous
community of Madrid, Mohamed Al Arabi, denounced the "brutal and
savage" reaction of the Moroccan forces of occupation to the peaceful
claims of the Saharawis of their right to self-determination.
Mr. Al Arabi added that the ''systematic rejection by Morocco of
authorising international observers to visit the Western Sahara shows
that Rabat would like to hide the truth about the situation Saharawi
people are living on their own land''. (SPS)
010/090/700/ALG/TRD 280948 Jul 05 SPS
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El Aaiun (occupied territories),
28/07/2005 (SPS) Saharawi human right activist and political detainee,
Lidri El Houssein, testified on the flagrant abuses and tortures his
Moroccan torturers exercised on him during his arrest in July the 20th,
and during the interrogation he was subjected, in a testimony he
succeeded in getting out of the Black Prison (Carcel Negra) where he is
imprisoned with other Saharawi human rights activists.
Here is the complete text of the testimony SPS translated from Arabic
to English:
"
The Dark Prison in La Aaiún,
Western Sahara
27 July 2005
Hussein Lidri
Human Rights Activist
Philosophy Teacher
Former deportee
Prisoner of Conscience at the terrible
Dark Prison
La Aaiún, Western Sahara
Prison number: 26355
Testimony on a Case of Detention and
Disappearance
I am the human rights activist
detained since 23 July 2005 at the Dark Prison in the occupied city of
La Aaiún. The Moroccan State, without any legal warrant,
arrested me in the occupied city of La Aaiún, on 20 July 2005,
in the wake of the Intifada for Independence and after my contacting
Aljazeera TV Channel to reply to their questions about the
circumstances of the detention of the Saharawi human rights activist
and former prisoner of conscience, Ali Salem Tamek, who was arrested at
La Aaiún’s airport on 18 July 2005.
Along with the Saharawi human rights
activists, Noumria Brahim and Laarbi Massoud, I was arrested by eight
agents of the Moroccan Intelligence Service at 10 o’clock on the date
referred to above. We were then transferred to the station of the
Judiciary Police where we were put in separate rooms so that they could
get our personal particulars before subjecting us to interrogation.
The forces of the Urban Police, led by
the Brigadier General Abu-Al Hassan Ishi, handcuffed and blindfolded me
and then I was put in a vehicle that drove for about an hour at least
before we stopped at an unknown place. There I was savagely
interrogated and tortured, and subjected to inhuman and degrading
treatment; I was also subjected to the so-called “roasted chicken”
exercise where I was suspended in the air by ropes for many hours
during which I was incessantly and brutally interrogated. Then they
would put a chair on my back and press it hard in such a way that I
would feel that all my body would break up, not to mention the brutal
beating, spitting on me and insulting me. They would also pull
the hair out of my head and face and applying heaving pressure on them
with which I lost consciousness for many hours. Then they would drag me
to a big hall and keep on indulging sadistically in making me suffer
until I regain consciousness and then I would be subjected to the same
“roasted chicken” exercise once again, and this time they would pour
some unidentified liquid on my body, which made me feel sore and
swell.
The brutal interrogation that I was
subjected to was carried out by some torturers whom I could recognise
by their voices that were familiar to me; they were Brahim Ben-Sami the
head of security in the occupied town of La Aaiún, Ishi Abu-Al
Hassan, the Brigadier General of the Urban Police, Hassan Ghafari,
Brigadier General of the General Intelligence Service and his aids,
Abdelhagh Rabia’ and Abdesabour and others whom I could not recognise.
I was interrogated mainly about my
human rights activism and my relation with a group of Saharawi human
rights activists and my position as to the question of Western Sahara
and the massive popular uprising that took place in Western Sahara and
south of Morocco and some universities since 21 May 2005, in addition
to my statement to Aljazeera TV Channel in the wake of the detention of
the Saharawi human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience,
Ali Salem Tamek, who was arrested on 18 July 2005 on his way back from
Spain.
After I had been subjected to all
sorts of torture, while I was completely unconscious, I was taken to
the security headquarters and then I was transported by an ambulance to
the hospital on 22 July 2005 with tight security. Then I was taken the
Public Prosecution along with the following Saharawi human rights
activists:
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Mohamed Cheikh El-Moutawakil, a former prisoner of conscience in 1992,
a deported Secretary General of the locality Ben-Msik in Casa Blanca in
2002 and member of the Executive Bureau of the Forum for Truth and
Justice.
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Mohamed Fadel El Gaoudi, a bank clerk who was sacked from his work, a
former prisoner of conscience of 1977, and member of the National
Bureau of the Forum for Truth and Justice.
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Noumria Brahim, a former disappeared in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1991, and
member of the Forum for Truth and Justice, Branch of Western Sahara,
which was banned by a decision of the Moroccan authorities in 2002.
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Laarbi Massoud, a graduate in Arabic literature, banned from work and a
former prisoner of conscience who was adopted by many international
human rights organisations such as Amnesty International.
We all were taken to the Public
Prosecution at the Court of Appeal in La Aaiún in Western
Sahara, where, together with the human rights activist Brahim Noumria,
I spoke, in front of the attorney, of the brutal torture to which we
were subjected. The Public Prosecutor decided then that I could
continue receiving medical treatment at the hospital and to prolong the
supervision for 24 hours.
The Moroccan Intelligence Service took
advantage of this extension to kidnap me once again and transport me
from the security headquarters in the occupied city of La Aaiún
to PCCMI where anew I was subjected to cruel torture and constant
interrogation in the same way as before and by the same persons.
In the morning of the next day, I was
transported, along with the other Saharawi human rights activists, to
the Court of Appeal where we spent the whole day. Mohamed Fadel El
Gaoudi was quitted, while the Prosecutor decided to send the three of
us and the others to the Dark Prison in the occupied city of La
Aaiún to be held in custody, although we presented evidences of
the kidnapping and torture to which we were subjected, while
questioning the cases that were concocted by the Judicial Police in the
occupied city of La Aaiún.
I still suffer from the consequences
of the savage torture especially on my swollen head that is still
covered by dry blood spots, and on my forehead, hands, knee joints,
spine and toes in addition to having a swollen left hand that was burnt
while I was tortured. Although I asked before the Prosecutor to have
access to medical care, I have not had any as yet.
It is to be recalled that the
administration of the Dark Prison did not consider my health situation
and so I was put in a 5 meters’ room along with the Saharawi human
rights activists Mohamed Cheick Moutawakil, Brahim Noumria and Massoud
Laarbi; this tiny room has no lavatory. Besides, the administration
always tries to tease us and so they would lock us in and prevent us
from having any visits.
Saharawi Human rights activist and
Prisoner of Conscience,
Hussein Lidri
Prison number: 26355." (SPS)
060/090/MAZ 282142 Jul 05 SPS
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Paris, 28/07/2005 (SPS) A French
woman, member to the Association of the Friends of SADR (AARASD), Mrs.
Claude Mangin, recently sojourned in the occupied territory to
investigate on the human rights situation in Western Sahara on the
ground. She presented to the members of her association a striking
testimony that we publicised in complete text.
Having spent a week in the Western Sahara, she met with many Saharawi
families in El Aaiun, Smara and Dakhla, in their majority still marked
by ‘disappearances’, sufferings, ill-treatment because they
participated in the resistance against the Moroccan occupation.
"Asked by a journalist if: "There is a problem of human rights in the
Western Sahara?" she answered: Yes! Without hesitation. El Aaiun is
under a state of siege, everyday, activists are arrested, brutalised,
kept in surveillance because they participated to peaceful
demonstration.
The popular uprising that started in the end of May has created a
situation of complete rejection of the Moroccan colonial presence to
which the Makhzen (Moroccan Feudal system) reacted with brutality and
in a kind of confusion.
Saharawi activists in human rights associations, in collectives of the
families of ‘disappeareds’ vividly ask for the presence of foreign
observers, human rights associations and friends so as to break the
isolation all Saharawis deeply feel and so as they contribute in
popularising their struggle.
For example, in fez days a young activist in Dakhla, Hamia Ahmed, son
of a ‘disappeared’ will be driven before the court of this city (in
August the 3rd). Dakhla is isolated because it is geographically far,
the rights to the defence are denied. This young activist, who is
guilty of demonstrating, risks a lot if no observers attend his trial.
The AARASD felicitate itself about the courageous presence of Claude
Mangin in Western Sahara that enabled her to get direct knowledge about
what happens there and to express to all Saharawis she met the
solidarity and sympathy of all the friends of the Association,
underlined a press release AARASD publicised.
It also hailed the recent statement by the National Secretary of the
Moroccan political Party « the Democratic Path », M.
Abdellah Elharrif, in his answers to the questions of Moroccan
newspaper "Le journal Hebdomadaire" (n° 218 July 05). The
Association hopes "his courageous lucidity that associates the holding
of a referendum to the possible democratic progress in Morocco can find
a meaningful echo and favours the process of the resolution of the
question of Western Sahara". (SPS)
010/090/666/QLG/TRD 281844 Jul 05 SPS
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Geneva, 28/07/2005 (SPS) "A cruel
and bloody repression is daily striking Saharawi civil populations",
deplored Ambassador Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, during a press conference
in the Palace of the Nations, in margin of the works of the 57th UN’s
Sub-Commission on Human Rights that is taking place in Geneva.
Mr. Beissat accompanied by Mrs. Christiane Perrégaux, member of
the Committee of support of the Saharawi people and Mr. Abdeslam Omar,
President of Afapredesa, focussed their intervention on the difficult
context of this dramatic period Saharawi people is living, especially
after May the 21st 2005.
"A cruel and bloody repression is daily striking Saharawi civil
populations, who demonstrate peacefully in all the Saharawi cities and
in the south of Morocco to claim for the respect of human rights in
Western Sahara, the freedom of circulation and to demand Saharawi
people’s right to self-determination and independence", he said.
"Despite of the wide movement of solidarity that has quickly moved,
especially in Europe to denounce the barbaric nature of this
repression, the tracking of Saharawi human rights activists,
sequestrations and ‘disappearance’ of many of them, there is a kind of
a resignation of the international community and a refusal to assume
its responsibility in front of the denial of justice Saharawi people,
who continues to live the cruelties of the occupation and the
arbitrary, is victim to", underlined Mr. Abdessalam.
The Saharawi Ambassador, on his part, stressed the need of the dispatch
by the UN of a mission of investigation to investigate on the situation.
"The UN, he said, has got the means and the needed resources to compel
Morocco to conform to the UN’s decisions and implement UN Security
Council’s recommendations through the organisation of a just and
democratic referendum, under its aegis, for the Saharawi people".
He added that the UN "has got the duty to guarantee and to protect the
Saharawi population living under threat".
The three personalities demanded "the immediate withdrawal of all the
Moroccan forces of repression deployed in the streets of the Saharawi
occupied cities, the guarantee of free access to the territory for the
international observers, and most urgently the immediate and
unconditional release of the Saharawi human rights activists
arbitrarily kept in Moroccan custody, such as Ali Salem Tamek, Aminatou
Haidar, Brahim Noumria, Houssin Lidri, El Moutawakil and dozens
other who are imprisoned in the Black Jail in El Aaiun and in the
numerous Moroccan secret centres of detention". (SPS)
010/090/666/ALG/TRD 281900 Jul 05 SPS
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El Aaiun (occupied territories),
28/07/2005 (SPS) Moroccan colonial court of appeal sentenced, Today in
El Aaiun, 2 participants to the Intifada, Hama Chrayeh et Salami
Mohamed, to 5 months imprisonment while 3 others, Chiyahou Brahim,
Ayoub Lehbib and Azli Abdarrahmane, were condemned to 1 year suspended
imprisonment.
This trial zas postponed last July the 22nd for these 5 prisoners while
a sixth, Abdarrahmane Bougarfa, was then condemned to 5 years
imprisonment for having participated to a peaceful demonstration
claiming for the respect of human rights and the right of the Saharawi
people to self-determination and independence.
Hama Chrayeh and Chiyahou Brahimwere condemned last June the 23rd to 3
years imprisonment while Azli Abdarrahmane and Mohamed Salem Salami
were sentenced 2 years imprisonment during the same trial because they
participated to the peaceful demonstrations of the Intifada of
independence that started last May the 21st.
On another hand, it should be mentioned that the popular neighbourhoods
of El Aaiun, such as Hay Mattalla, are still sealed by the Moroccan
police, gendarmerie, auxiliary forces and GUS, who set posts of
surveillance in front of the houses of Saharawi human rights’ houses.
Moroccan Forces patrol in the popular neighbourhood of Zemla and other
popular places in the city forbidding gatherings of more than 3 persons
at a time. (SPS)
010/090/110/ALG/TRD 282033 Jul 05 SPS
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SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE