Intervention de l'Union Internationale de la Jeunesse Socialiste
International Union of Socialist Youth

The 60th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights

Item 17 on the order of the day

The situation of the Saharawi human rights activists in the occupied territories of Western Sahara is inextricably linked to the day-to-day situation of the Saharawi population living in those territories. Ever since Morocco illegally occupied the territory in 1975, the Saharawi population has been subject to a series of practices carried out by both the Moroccan occupying administration and police, which involve forced unemployment, denial of salaries, forced deportation into Morocco, arbitrary arrest and disappearance, and extrajudicial imprisonment. In addition, the few Saharawis who were brought to court were tried in conditions lacking in the minimum legal guarantees, thus ending up serving unfair and excessive sentences, as the testimonies of many human rights organisations have demonstrated. The plight of the Saharawis in the occupied territories can also be comprehended considering the fact that the 33 prisoners of conscience, who were pardoned by the Moroccan King on 7th January 2004, included 12 Saharawi prisoners of conscience.

It is noteworthy that the King‚s pardoning of the prisoners was a move that coincided with the establishment by the Moroccan regime of a so-called "Equity and Reconciliation Commission". Together with the "Consultative Council for Human Rights" and "Ministry of Human Rights", this newly established body has not brought forth any tangible change in the situation of human rights in Morocco. According to the Central Bureau of the Moroccan Human Rights Association, (quote) "the Moroccan Human Rights Association has always been calling for a global approach to the gross human rights violations relating to political oppression, which involves forced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, torture, unfair trials, and extrajudicial executions (...)

If this is the state of affairs prevailing in Morocco, it is easy then to imagine how it would be for the Saharawis who continue living under illegal and brutal occupation, while being denied their right to self-determination as sanctioned by international legality.

Among those who were released was the Saharawi political prisoner and trade-unionist, Ali Salem Tamek, who was sentenced, in an unfair trial, to two-year imprisonment that he had to serve under severe conditions, which led him to go on hunger strike ten times as an act of protest, despite the subsequent dire consequences for his health. During his imprisonment, Tamek was denied his salary, and, strangely enough, his daughter was banned from getting registered in the general register because her name is „athawara‰ (revolution in Arabic). All of a sudden, Tamek found himself pardoned for something he had never done, since he had never done anything threatening the public order nor had he instigated any type of violence. The only thing he had done, openly and peacefully, was to express his political convictions and support the right of his people to self-determination. That is why, even after having being released, he is still subject to unending series of intimidation and harassment.

Nonetheless, it was not only Tamek who has had to endure all these forms of intimidation and persecution. All Saharawi human rights activists have been subject to torture and intimidation, as can be deduced from the cases referred to by the Special Rapporteur on Torture, Teo Van Boven, in his latest report submitted to the Commission, precisely the cases of the human rights activists Salek Bazeid and Ahmed Nassiri.

The restrictions imposed on travel abroad, which involves confiscation of travel documents, is another measure that the Moroccan authorities have been taking against the Saharawi human rights activists, including the human rights activist and Rafto Foundation‚s prize-winner of 2002, Sidi Mohamed Daddach. The consequences of this repressive measure bear testimony to the severe conditions being imposed on the free movement of the Saharawi human rights activists, a fact that has been vehemently denounced by many human rights organisations and underlined by the UN Secretary-General in his report (C/N.4/2004/29) of 23rd January 2004

Those responsible for the gross violations of human rights in Western Sahara are still continuing doing so with impunity. The testimony made recently by the Moroccan officer, Ahmed Boukhari, is a case in point to confirm this fact. In a list published on 8th March 2004, Boukhari identified 123 persons who are responsible for gross human rights abuses including high ranking Moroccan officers in the army and the civil service, many of them are still in office

Mr. Chairman,

If Morocco is really keen on respecting human rights, as it has claimed on many occasions, it has to put an end to its policies of intimidation and harassment targeting the Saharawi human rights activists, who are subject to severe restrictions on their freedom of movement and of _expression. Likewise, it has to pull out its forces from Western Sahara that it has been occupying illegally since 1975. Meanwhile, the international community should shoulder its responsibility with a view to devising observation mechanisms in Western Sahara, and to enabling the Saharawi people to exercise its right to self-determination in a free and democratic manner.

Thank you indeed!