Occupied El Aaiún (Sahrawi Republic) 29 September 2026 (SPS)– The Sahrawi Organ Against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM) has warned of the continued deterioration of the conditions of Sahrawi political prisoners held in Moroccan prisons, calling for urgent and effective international intervention to protect their rights and ensure their safety, as nine prisoners from the Gdeim Izik group continue their hunger strike, which began on 23 September.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, ISACOM said it was following, with utmost vigilance and deep concern, the hunger strike being waged by the nine prisoners, noting the ongoing reports and information confirming the deteriorating conditions of Sahrawi prisoners across various detention sites and prisons in Morocco, amid rising tensions within these prisons.
ISACOM attributed this situation to what it described as the continued adoption by the Moroccan prison administration of systematic practices aimed at restricting and pressuring prisoners, including denial of rights, ill-treatment, isolation, forced transfers and medical neglect, as well as practices that interfere with their rights and their relations with their surroundings inside the prisons and with their families.
ISACOM considered that these practices constitute, according to the statement, part of a policy of retaliation and pressure against Sahrawi prisoners, denouncing “aggressive and discriminatory” practices targeting the rights and gains they have accumulated over sixteen years of steadfastness, patience, resilience and commitment to dignity, through numerous struggles and human rights battles that have marked the experience of the Gdeim Izik prisoners in Moroccan prisons.
ISACOM declared its “absolute and unconditional” solidarity with Sahrawi prisoners, affirming its support for them in every struggle they undertake in defence of their rights and dignity.
In this context, ISACOM expressed support for the prisoners’ demands to safeguard their dignity and respect their rights, foremost among them ensuring appropriate conditions of detention and imprisonment for civilians from occupied territories, in accordance with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as calling for their prompt release, in implementation of the decisions issued by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in addition to the decisions and observations issued by the United Nations Committee against Torture.
ISACOM also appealed to the international community to intervene urgently and effectively and to exert pressure on Morocco to ensure that Sahrawi political prisoners are afforded their legitimate rights, and to guarantee the immediate and full implementation of relevant United Nations decisions and resolutions concerning their situation.
ISACOM held Morocco fully responsible for the safety and fate of the Sahrawi prisoners on hunger strike, calling upon it to respond urgently to their legitimate demands and to put an end to all forms of pressure and ill-treatment that threaten their safety and fundamental rights.
According to the list included in the statement, nine Sahrawi political prisoners are taking part in the hunger strike across three Moroccan prisons: Mohamed Bani, at Ait Melloul 2 Prison; Abdullah Abhah, Mohamed Lamin Haddi, and Bashir Khadda, at Tiflet 2 Prison; and Sidi El Bashir Boutengueza, Ahmed Sebai, Ennaama Asfari, El Hussein Zaoui, and Hassan Dah, at the Central Prison of Kenitra.
ISACOM concluded its statement by calling for urgent international action to protect Sahrawi prisoners and ensure respect for their rights, warning of the consequences of the continued deterioration of their conditions, particularly those prisoners on hunger strike. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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