The two had spent a week and a half in Morocco and occupied Western Sahara, kiting and mountain climbing. On the way back from Dakhla to Marrakech, they stopped over in El Aaiun, the capital of occupied Western Sahara, to meet with the family of Brahim Dahane, president of the Sahrawi human rights group ASVDH. 

Mr Dahane has been imprisoned for 15 months for having visited the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, still awaiting his trial and sentence. Tomorrow, on 11 January, Mr. Dahane and his fellow inmates will start a hunger strike against the unjust legal process they have faced so far in Moroccan courts. The group of seven human rights activists is due to be put on trial next week.

The Norwegian tourists stopped over in El Aaiun to hear how the mother and sister of Mr. Dahane were coping with his long imprisonment. Mr. Dahane was given a human rights award by the Swedish government for his work last year.

The two Norwegians were detained shortly after leaving Dahane's home late Monday night. One of the men was taken by the police from a taxi, while the other was detained half an hour later in the street.

“They did a thorough search of both us, and interrogated us. The police had observed a flash of the camera in the room where we had met Dahane's mother, and they were highly interested in obtaining the photos we had”, stated Trygve Utstumoen, one of the expelled Norwegians.

As of midnight, European time, they are on a bus heading towards Marrakech, escorted by Moroccan police.

The photos documenting the meeting between the Norwegian students and the mother of Mr. Dahane, will be published on www.vest-sahara.no.

Dozens of groups of observers, parliamentarians and journalists have been expelled from Western Sahara. Yesterday, a group of Spanish observers were expelled for investigating illegal EU fisheries in the occupied territories.