Norwegian minister for foreign affairs, Mrs Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, today expressed concern over the situation for imprisoned Saharawi human rights defenders.
“Norwegian authorities are well aware of the situation in Moroccan jails, and share the concern over the situation for Saharawi human rights defenders", Norwegian Minister for foreign affairs, Mrs. Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide told today.
“The Norwegian embassy in Rabat regularly raises the situation for Saharawi human rights defenders in Moroccan jails with the Moroccan authorities and the human rights commission (CNDH). From Norwegian side, we have also expressed concern relating to the prison conditions in view of the corona pandemic", she expressed in an answer to a parliamentary question from Member of Parliament Åsmund Aukrust (Labour).
March this year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expresed that political prisoners internationally must be released as a consequence of the corona pandemic.
There are around 40 Saharawi political prisoners in Moroccan jails today. Different bodies in the UN have commented on most of them
Disappeared Saharawi prisoner reappeared, still in isolation
The political prisoner Elhafed Iaazza is no longer missing in jail, but remains in total isolation, on the 10th week. “I will kill you”, prison director told him today.
Norway concerned about recent developments in Western Sahara
In a letter to Norwegian civil society today, the Norwegian minister of foreign affairs expressed that self-determination for the people of Western Sahara must constitute the basis for the solution to the conflict.
Detention of former Saharawi political prisoner found illegal by UN experts
The Saharawi human rights defender Ali Saadouni was illegally imprisoned, unlawfully judged and tortured by Moroccan authorities for putting up Western Sahara flags in a roundabout. This is the conclusion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in a decision published today.
Protect journalists in Western Sahara, organisations warn
Sahrawi journalists reporting on the massive crackdown against civilians in occupied Western Sahara are themselves facing repression and arbitrary arrest by Moroccan forces, according to a report and public appeal by four organisations.