Occupied El Aaiun, 16 July 2026 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Prisoners Protection Association in Moroccan Prisons on Thursday confirmed the loss of contact with Sahrawi civilian prisoner Naâma Asfari, who has been on an open-ended hunger strike at Kenitra Prison since 8 June, entering his 39th consecutive day.
The association said that Asfari's family had informed it that they had not received his usual weekly phone call, raising serious concerns over his health and life, particularly amid reports of a worrying deterioration in his condition.
According to a report issued by the National Mechanism for the Coordination of Human Rights Action, the Sahrawi prisoner has lost more than ten kilograms since the beginning of his hunger strike and is suffering from severe exhaustion threatening his vital functions.
Asfari has also escalated his protest by boycotting the prison doctor and refusing medical examinations, in protest against what human rights reports described as “retaliatory practices” by the prison administration, as well as the denial of his fundamental right to communicate with his family.
The association held the Moroccan occupation authorities fully responsible for the life and safety of Naâma Asfari, calling on international human rights organisations and media outlets to urgently intervene to inquire about his fate and ascertain his condition.
It warned of the serious consequences of any failure to provide the prisoner with the necessary medical care.
The association further called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to assume its humanitarian and legal responsibilities by visiting Moroccan prisons and investigating the “catastrophic conditions” prevailing there, amid a wave of hunger strikes in protest against systematic violations.
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