Shaheed El Hafed, July 14, 2026 (SPS) – The National Mechanism for the Coordination of Human Rights Action on Tuesday released a comprehensive report on the health and detention conditions of Sahrawi civilian prisoner Naâma Asfari and his fellow detainees from the Gdeim Izik Group, revealing an unprecedented deterioration in Asfari's health as he enters the 36th consecutive day of his open-ended hunger strike, amid growing regional and international solidarity.
According to the detailed report, Asfari's hunger strike, which he has described as the "Dignity Strike," has entered an extremely critical phase after 36 consecutive days, prompting heightened concern as diplomatic and parliamentary initiatives continue to gain momentum in Europe and Latin America, with increasing calls for the United Nations to intervene urgently.
The report, updated through July 14, 2026, states that Asfari, who is currently being held in isolation in the infirmary of Kenitra Prison, north of Rabat, is suffering from severe exhaustion that threatens his vital bodily functions. It notes that he has lost more than nine kilograms since the beginning of his hunger strike.
It further states that, in response to what he considers the prison administration's disregard for his demands, Asfari has escalated his protest by refusing medical examinations and health monitoring, declining to leave his cell for the daily exercise period, and remaining in self-imposed confinement inside his cell.
The report highlights a broad solidarity campaign within Moroccan prisons led by the 19 imprisoned members of the Gdeim Izik Group, who are serving prison sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment based on what the report describes as confessions extracted under torture.
In addition, the report reviews the growing wave of solidarity in Spain, Latin America, and internationally, as well as appeals addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The appeals call for the dispatch of independent fact-finding and inspection missions and for measures to ensure the protection of Sahrawi civilian prisoners.
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