SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Chahid El Hafed (refugee camps), 30/09/2005 (SPS) Saharawi Journalists’ and Writers’ Union (UPES- in Spanish) felicitates itself, Friday, of the safety of the Saharawi political prisoners, after their 51 days hunger strike that started last August the 8 and suspended Thursday the 29th of September 2005, indicated a press release by the Union, of which here is the complete text:

We learned, with great satisfaction, about the decision of suspension of the 51 days hunger strike, undertaken by Saharawi political prisoners, in the Carcel negra in El Aaiun, the local prison of Ait Melloul city, and Oukacha prison in Casablanca.

In this occasion, we recall that neither the difficulty of the experience, nor the barbarous acts of the colonial Moroccan administration or the danger of death the prisoners underwent, under a complete criminal indifference by the Moroccan Government, did affect, at any moment, the determination of the Saharawi political prisoners to brave the Moroccan colonial policy. They clearly expressed their attachment to the objective of their people: independence and freedom.

We stress, on the same occasion, that the heroic struggle waged by our political detainees in the most inhumane conditions in the different Moroccan prisons, unveiled, in all its dimensions, that there is a real will of premeditated assassination Moroccan occupier is adopting as a policy of genocide against the population of the occupied zones of Western Sahara and south Morocco, especially against the Saharawi human rights activists.

The epical 51 hunger strike undertaken by the Saharawi political prisoners confirmed, anew, the bankruptcy of the Moroccan policy of occupation based on oppression, abduction, imprisonment, torture, intimidation, rape and defamation.

On another hand, the suspension of the hunger strike, the prisoners declared in the current conjuncture, is an additional proof on a deep political awareness and a very high sense of responsibility, as well as a real expression of appreciation of the acts of solidarity and efforts deployed by all the components of the wide movement of solidarity world wide.

- Felicitates itself, first, that all the Saharawi political prisoners got through this hardship safe and sound, stressing, on another hand, the political and medias impact their action has at the international level.

- Calls all the international competent bodies to pressure Morocco, so as to compel it guarantee the Saharawi political detainees fair judgments, as soon as possible, with the presence of international observers and with all needed guarantees of defence.

- Demands from the Moroccan authorities to provide the Saharawi political prisoners with the appropriate conditions of detentions according to their status as prisoners of opinion.

- Draw the attention on the dangers of the repercussions of the 51 days hunger strike on the health and physical integrity of the prisoners. There is thus an urgent need for the intervention of the competent international organisations to save their lives.

- Recalls the international community that Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory that is illegally occupied by Morocco, and that the international legality must be imposed on the parties to the conflict, Morocco in particular, so as to complete the decolonisation of the territory conforming to the UN’s Charter and to UN’s pertinent resolutions.

- Calls the UN, democrat Governments and Parliaments, Organisations and personalities concerned about peace and justice to pressure Morocco put an end to the security and Medias siege it imposes on the occupied zones of the Western Sahara.

- Exhorts international press and NGOs to visit the occupied zones of the Western Sahara, to investigate by themselves on the Moroccan violations of Saharawi people’s political, cultural, social and economical rights.

SPS
ITALY/OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/PRISONERS/SOLIDARITY

Hunger strike of solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners in Italy this October the 5th

Rome, 30/09/2005 (SPS) A hunger strike of solidarity with Saharawi political prisoners, arbitrarily detained in Moroccan prisons and who have just suspended a hunger strike of more than 50 days, will take place at the same time this October the 5th in many European cities, reported the Association of support to the Saharawi people in Roma.

This day of solidarity, which was decided during the 31st Conference of the European Coordination of support to the Saharawi people (EUCOCO), which took place during last 23rd, 24th and 25th of September in Mol (Belgium), will be organised in many Italian cities such as Roma and Florence, so as to draw the attention of the public opinion about the serious deterioration of the states of health of the Saharawi citizens under detention in the Moroccan prisons, after more than a month and a half hunger strike.

Many Italian personalities, parliamentarians, Senators, representatives of non governmental associations and of associations of support to the Saharawi people, will participate to this initiative that also aims at denouncing the arbitrary detention and the systematic human rights violations in the occupied territories and in Morocco.

EUCOCO calls during recent meeting to spread this action of solidarity, which was undertaken in Spain with great success, to other European countries. It called all persons, concerned about peace and justice, and the whole European movement of solidarity to mobilise for the release of the prisoners and the stopping of the repression that is striking the citizens of Western Sahara.

Sit-ins will be organised during this day, using placards and exposing the pictures of the Saharawi prisoners and petitions that denounce the serious abuses of human rights and repression, and call to the immediate release of the detainees, it was indicated. (SPS)

060/090/700 302054 sept 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/PRISONERS

Abdelaziz addressing the Saharawi political prisoners: "you achieved th goals of the hunger strike"

Chahid El Hafed, 30/09/2005 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, sent a message of support to the 37 Saharawi political prisoners after they suspended their unlimited hunger strike, that continued for 51 days, affirming that they " achieved the fundamental goals of the hunger strike", which was to expose to the wide public opinion, the "repressive" nature of the Moroccan Government, the solidarity of the Moroccan people and the international support to the decolonisation of the Western Sahara.

"Your action unveiled the Moroccan Government and its colonial nature, which is violating the international law by its occupation of Western Sahara, where it is continuously exercising an abject colonial policy based on repression, abductions, imprisonments and abusive plundering of its natural resources", the President of the Republic underlined.

"You sacrificed your health and put in danger your lives, giving huge sacrifices and braving the repressive machine to be proud of it now with this victory you got, your heads up despite of the arrogance of the coloniser", the message said.

The President of the Republic put forwards the declared position "of support, by Moroccan political parties, organisations, associations and personalities, to your legitimate claims", especially among them, "the position of the 'Annahj Dimoucrati’ (the Democratic Path Party) and the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), who never gave up supporting Saharawi people’s right to self-determination", as well as the advanced positions of other Moroccan organisations such as the OMDH and the FVJ.

the 37 Saharawi political prisoners in the different Moroccan prisons announced the suspension - " without prejudice to their legitimate demands"- of their hunger strike they started last August the 8 to claim for the respect of the fundamental human rights in Western Sahara and the organisation of a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara.. (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 302335 sept 05 SPS

SPS
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/MOROCCO/PRISONERS/SOLIDARITY

3 Moroccan human rights’ NGOs protest in front of the Moroccan Ministry for justice in solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners

Rabat, 30/09/2005 (SPS) The Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights (OMDH- in French), the Forum Truth and Justice (FVJ-in French) and the Moroccan Prisons Watch, declared they will organise a sit-in of protest in front of the Moroccan Ministry for Justice, to demand an urgent intervention in favour of the Saharawi political prisoners, who are in a terrible state of health after more than 50 days hunger strike.

In a joint press release, publicised Friday, the three human rights’ NGOs called on "all forces concerned with the respect of human rights to urgently intervene to save the lives of the hunger-strikers", before it becomes too late.

After having attempted everything to push the Moroccan Government to react, and after that "the Minister for Justice ignored all our requests of having a meeting", the 3 organisations considered the Minister "besides the General Director of the prisons as accountable" of any harm that may affect the lives or physical and mental health of the hunger-strikers, the text added.

The text called, on another hand, to the opening of a consistent dialogue with the Saharawi political prisoners, so as to resolve this situation about which the Moroccan State assumes full responsibility.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) described the Moroccan management of Human rights in Western Sahara as "irresponsible and mistaken", expressing its "deep deception about the manner with which the Moroccan Minister for Justice is handling the hunger strike". An attitude that lacks "the minimum of responsibility and credibility", the organisation underlined, asking the Moroccan Government to allow international human rights organisations and press to visit" Saharawi political prisoners.

4 Moroccan human rights organisations: The Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights (OMDH- in French), the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH- in French), the Forum Truth and Justice (FVJ-in French) and the Moroccan Prisons Watch, recently addressed a joint letter to the Moroccan Minister of Justice asking for permission to visit the 37 Saharawi political prisoners, who are undertaking a hunger strike in Moroccan cells.

Moroccan human rights organisation, AMDH, OMDH and FVJ, expressed their preoccupation about the critical states of health of the 37 hunger-striking Saharawi political prisoners. They affirmed that the health of the prisoners began "to worsen seriously, especially that some of them were tortured during their arrests", indicated a press release jointly publicised by the 3 organisations last August the 29th, it should be recalled. (SPS)

060/090/000 302348 sept 05 SPS