Madrid (Spain), July 14, 2026 (SPS) – The French daily Le Monde, in its July 13 edition, published an in-depth report on the health condition of Sahrawi political prisoner Naâma Asfari, who has been on an open-ended hunger strike for more than a month in protest against his arbitrary detention.
The report also reviewed the positions of United Nations bodies that have found his detention to be inconsistent with international law.
The report, written by journalist Simon Roger, states that Naâma Asfari has lost more than nine kilograms after 34 days of hunger strike, according to his wife, Claude Mangin, who said he continues to demand a meeting with the Director-General of Morocco's Prison Administration despite the serious deterioration of his health.
Le Monde noted that Asfari, who has been imprisoned since November 2010 and is serving a 30-year sentence as a member of the Gdeim Izik Group, is regarded as one of the leading advocates of the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. The newspaper also recalled that his trial drew widespread criticism from international human rights organizations and bodies.
The report further reviewed the findings of the United Nations Committee against Torture, which had previously concluded that Asfari's confession was obtained under torture. It also referred to the Committee's opinion issued on May 20, 2026, reaffirming the existence of what it described as "a consistent pattern of arbitrary arrests, solitary confinement, torture or ill-treatment during interrogations, and the use of coerced confessions in judicial proceedings."
In addition, the newspaper recalled the 2023 opinion of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which called for the release of the Sahrawi detainees. It also highlighted the Committee against Torture's recommendations calling for compensation for Naâma Asfari, permission for family visits, and an independent investigation into the events of Gdeim Izik.
The report examined the growing wave of solidarity with the Sahrawi political prisoner, referring to solidarity hunger strikes carried out by several Sahrawi prisoners in Moroccan prisons, as well as demonstrations organized by their families in support of his demands.
In the same context, Le Monde highlighted the initiative of French Member of Parliament Jean-Paul Lecoq, President of the Parliamentary Study Group on Western Sahara at the French National Assembly, who urged the French Prime Minister, ahead of his official visit to Morocco, to intervene for the release of Sahrawi political prisoners, citing the principles of human rights and international law.
Related blogs
