In 2007 she was beaten so hard that her eye fell out. She was also met with serious rounds of police violence in 2011 and 2013. In 2012 she was on a visit to Norway, meeting several Norwegian political organisations.
The pictures that the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara have received below were taken following a demonstration which Khaya took part in, on the 29 March, in the town of Boujdour in occupied Western Sahara. The pictures show bruises on the thighs, shoulders and arms.
"We demonstrated in solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners. Plainclothed police came and beat us up", Khaya told on phone to the Norwegian Support Committee.
"I was pulled along the road and beaten and kicked. They tore up my clothes", she said.
The UN Security Council end of April decided to prolong the UN operation in Western Sahara with one more year. Previous requests from countries like the US and the UK to having the UN monitoring the human rights situation in Western Sahara were not taken into the resolution this year. Suggestions on a UN monitoring of human rights abuses are traditionally shot down by France, Morocco's main ally in the council. France is a strong opponent of human rights monitoring in the occupied territory.
Western Sahara has been partially occupied by Morocco since 1975.
UN body calls for the release of imprisoned Saharawi student
In a decision published yesterday, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concludes that the detention of the Saharawi student and human rights defender Al-Hussein Al-Bachir Ibrahim is arbitrary. The UN Working Group called on Morocco to immediately release him from the deplorable prison conditions.
Two Norwegians Are Now Being Deported from Occupied Western Sahara
Two more Norwegians, who travelled to occupied Western Sahara to learn about Morocco’s controversial energy projects in the territory, were detained by Moroccan police this afternoon and deported.
Norwegians deported from occupied Western Sahara - wanted to learn about renewable energy
Today, 25 Moroccan police officers showed up to expel two Norwegians from occupied Western Sahara. The two had traveled to learn what the Sahrawis think about Morocco's controversial renewable energy projects on occupied land.
UN committee highlights Moroccan impunity in occupied Western Sahara
Sahrawi civil society welcomes a new report from the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance, and urges exhumations and identification of victims in the Morocco-occupied Western Sahara.