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Adala UK demands urgent action to guarantee freedom of press in occupied Western Sahara

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London, August 15, 2014 (SPS) - Adala UK, Justice & Human Rights for Western Sahara, has demanded “urgent action on the issue of freedom of press and denounced the Moroccan government for only allowing journalists in favour of the regime’s official line to freely practice their profession whilst independent or foreign journalists are often denied access to the Occupied Territories and Saharawi journalists are subject to threats and arbitrary arrests.”

 

Adala UK indicated in a statement Friday that “independent journalism in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara, the country with the worst freedom of press record in the region, has become one of the most dangerous professions.”

 

“The Moroccan occupying forces maintain a monopoly on TV, radio, press and the internet. Individuals who want to express their own version of what is happening in Western Sahara are subject to threats, arbitrary arrests and torture.”

 

“The most recent incident has caught the attention of human rights organisations, including Adala UK and Reporters without Borders, who have echoed the reports of abuses committed by the Moroccan state and called on the international community to act.”

 

“Mahmoud Alhaisan, correspondent for RASD TV, a local TV station in Western Sahara, received threats from the police, which became a reality when he was arrested without warning by plain clothes police officers in the streets of El Aiun whilst on his way home. A few days ealier Mahmoud Alhaisan had produced a report about the excessive use of force by Moroccan police against Saharawi demonstrators. He is now accused of various crimes.”

 

“The arbitrary detention and threats that Mahmoud Alhaisan suffered are a clear example of the Moroccan state’s repressive regime against Saharawi journalists working in the Occupied Territories.” (SPS)

 

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