Paris, 30/01/2006 (SPS) The Committee for the respect of human rights in Western Sahara (CORELSO), based in Paris, asked the Moroccan Government, on Sunday, to give the recently released Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activist, Aminatou Haidar, back "all her civic rights, especially the right to expression, demonstration and circulation", indicated CORELSO, quoted by Algerian press agency, APS, on Sunday.

 

The French-Saharawi association reaffirmed its decision "to keep up with its action, with the human rights organisations and the associations of support to Saharawi people struggle, for the stopping of repression in the occupied territories, the release of all political prisoners as well as the enforcement of the UN’s peace plan with the organisation of self-determination referendum", the same source added.

 

CORELSO also hailed "the courage" of the Saharawi activist, Aminatou Haidar, who was released from the "sinister prison, the Carcel Negra, of the occupied El Aaiun", immediately declared that she will continue the struggle for the liberation of all Saharawi imprisoned".

 

It also expressed its satisfaction about the release of Aminatou Haidar, last January the 17th, "after many months of imprisonment in the worst conditions in the Carcel Negra (Black Prison) in El Aaiun", the same source added.   

 

The Saharawi activist was arrested in 1987, spent 4 years in a centre of secret detention. Mother to two children, Aminatou Haïdar became "one of the symbols" of the Saharawi struggle for self-determination and independence in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

 

The CORELSO recalled that "for these reasons, she was nominated to the European Parliament’s Sakharov Price 2005, following a proposition of the European Parliament’s intergroup for the Western Sahara". 

 

"Despite the deployment of the Moroccan forces of occupation, the Saharawi population of El Aaiun celebrated this release raising the Saharawi Republic’s flags, chanting slogans in favour of the independence, showing thus their willingness to continue their peaceful struggle until the fulfilment of their claims, despite of the repression", the association stressed.

 

On his part, the vice-President of CORELSO, Mr. Ennaama Asfari, denounced the obstacles erected by the Moroccan authorities to stop the Saharawi participation to the Preparatory in the Conference of the Maghreb's Social Forum, which closed on Sunday in Bouznika (Morocco).

 

Mr. Asfari, also Coordinator of the Saharawi participants to the Forum, indicated that in spite of the Saharawi participation, "with an open mind and willingness", to the process that led to the preparatory conference of the Maghreb’s Social Forum, "members of the Moroccan steering Committee erected obstacles to hinders the Saharawi presence to Bouznika". 

 

"We denounce these deeds that aim at blocking the participation of the Saharawi Representatives and which undermine the principles and philosophy of the Charter of the Forum", Mr. Asfari said. (SPS)

 

020/090/700/TRD 301300 Jan 06 SPS

up

SPS OCCUPIED TERITORIES/POLITICAL PRISONRS The Saharawi political prisoners start a 48 hours hunger strike