[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Western Saharan struggle update

[Patrick Bond]

http://asvdh.net/english/?p=401


Mothers of Missing Western Saharans Stage Protest, Then Beaten by 
Moroccan Police
08 Jun 2008 | Information/Update

Yesterday, Saturday June 7, the mothers of the fifteen disappeared young 
Western Saharans tried to occupy a platform intended for a delegation of 
the Moroccan Independence Party, headed by Morocco’s Prime Minister, Mr. 
Abbas ELFASSI. The event was in memory of Abdelkhaleq TRIS, one of the 
leaders of the Moroccan Independence Party.

While the speech of the Moroccan Prime Minister, who was explaining the 
Moroccan proposal of Autonomy for Western Sahara, Mrs. Oumilemnin SOUYAH 
and Embarkalina EDDEYA, climbed on to the podium to talk about the 
fifteen young Western Saharans who recently disappeared in mysterious 
circumstances. At the same time, four other mothers — Mrs. Haddia 
ELAOUD, Mrs. Akhiarhoum RAIS, Mrs. Abreira Oumlemnin, Mrs. Salem 
ELMADKOURI — raised the photos and a banner of the fifteen youths. But 
when they tried to join the other two mothers on stage, the Moroccan 
secret services took the banners from them by force. During the fight, 
the four women were assaulted and Mrs. Haddia ELAOUD was beaten about 
her kidneys (she suffers from diabetes). She was quickly taken to the 
hospital Belmehdi in El-Ayoune, occupied Western Sahara.

So far, the Moroccan authorities have done nothing not work to reveal 
the fate of the 15 missing young men. The families accuse official 
Moroccan bodies of having kidnapped and disappeared their sons. The 
fifteen young Western Saharans disappeared in mysterious circumstances 
while trying to secretly migrate to the Canary Islands. The families of 
these young Western Saharans accuse Moroccan official bodies to have 
arrested their sons, while several officers reneged on uncovering the 
fate of these young people despite promises by the local authorities and 
the former Minister of Justice and several Moroccan officials.

***

Western Saharan rights defender, Ennaâma ASFARI, suddenly relased by 
Moroccan authorities
13 Jun 2008 | Information/Update, Political Prisoners
Ennaâma ASFARI

We have just learned that the Western Saharan human rights defender and 
co-chairman of CORELSO (Committee for the respect of liberties and human 
rights in Western Sahara), Mr. Ennaâma ASFARI, was released today, 
Friday, June 13, 2008, around 10h00 am (GMT +1). Mr. ASFARI, who should 
have been released on June 16, after serving his sentence of two months’ 
imprisonment (and the same day of his trial on appeal) was surprised by 
the director of the local Moroccan prison in Marrakesh who announced his 
release.

When Mr. ASFARI tried to understand the reason for his release before 
the end of his imprisonment, the director told him that, in his case, 
the law should not necessarily be respected and that he has received 
orders from officials to release him. When Mr. ASFARI claimed his 
belongings, the director replied that superiors took them and he can not 
give their names.

We recall that Mr. ASFARI was arrested on April 13, 2008, in Marrakesh, 
Morocco. After being taken to various places of detention, where he 
suffered mistreatment, he was presented to the general prosecutor on 
April 15 and has been incarcerated since April 17, 2008, in the Moroccan 
prison Boulemharez in Marrakesh. On Monday, 28 April 2008 Mr. ASFARI was 
sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and a fine of three thousand 
dirhams (3.000.00) by the court of first instance of Marrakesh.