Ivry-sur-Seine (France), 9 October 2026 (SPS) – The Municipal Council of Ivry-sur-Seine on Thursday reaffirmed its solidarity with the Sahrawi people and Sahrawi political prisoners, particularly Naâma Asfari, an honorary citizen of the city who is imprisoned in Morocco.
The initiative, presented by Mayor Philippe Bouyssou on behalf of the municipal majority, “Front populaire ivryen,” expresses support for the hunger strike launched by Naâma Asfari and eight other Sahrawi political prisoners from the Gdeim Izik group. The prisoners are demanding respect for their fundamental rights and implementation of commitments made by the Moroccan prison administration. The motion was adopted with one vote against, one abstention and three councillors not taking part in the vote.
The Municipal Council reiterated its commitment to international law, United Nations resolutions and the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination. It also renewed its support for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and called for the release of Sahrawi political prisoners detained, according to the motion, for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental freedoms.
Regarding Naâma Asfari, who has been imprisoned since November 2010 and sentenced to 30 years in prison, the Council recalled that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in Opinion No. 23/2023 of 27 March 2023, found his detention to be arbitrary and recommended his immediate release.
The municipal council also expressed concern over the deterioration of detention conditions for Sahrawi political prisoners, particularly regarding access to medical care, family visits and communication with relatives.
It further noted that the current hunger strike follows an earlier 46-day protest, which was suspended after dialogue with the Moroccan prison administration led to commitments that, according to the motion, remain unfulfilled.
The motion also denounced the transfer of Naâma Asfari to Marrakech prison on 30 September, eight days after the hunger strike began. It warned that the measure could be intended to disperse the prisoners and weaken their mobilisation.
The Council urged the competent authorities to ensure that detention conditions respect the dignity and fundamental rights of Sahrawi political prisoners. It also called for respect for the visitation rights of Claude Mangin-Asfari, Naâma Asfari’s wife.
In addition, the Council called for continued efforts to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Western Sahara conflict, in accordance with international law and UN resolutions, enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination.
Finally, it called on the mayor of Ivry-sur-Seine to visit Naâma Asfari in prison to demonstrate the city’s solidarity and obtain first-hand information about his situation and conditions of detention.
This initiative continues Ivry-sur-Seine’s longstanding solidarity with the Sahrawi people, reflected in the friendship protocol signed with the Mijek daira in November 2023 and the granting of honorary citizenship to Naâma Asfari in 2016.
Related blogs
