In a landmark joint communication published late May 2025 (Al MAR 3/2025), eight United Nations Special Rapporteurs have denounced Morocco’s ongoing campaign of repression, racial discrimination, and violence against Sahrawi human rights defenders, journalists, and advocates for self-determination, covering 79 victims as reference cases. The UN Experts called on Morocco to immediately cease these violations and uphold its international human rights obligations and to ensure that the people of Western Sahara can fully exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with international law.

While the statement itself was only published last week, the conclusion itself was made on 20 March 2025. 

The communication follows a series of previous UN communications raising similar concerns over the past five years, denouncing systematic racial discrimination and targeting of Saharawi identity. Despite Morocco’s responses to many of these letters, the UN experts note with alarm that patterns of repression, harassment, and discrimination against Sahrawi individuals and organizations have not only continued but worsened.

The UN communication is a result of a complaint submitted by the Working Group on Human Rights in Occupied Western Sahara (WGHRWS), the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH) and CODESA, the collective of Saharawi human rights defenders. “The communication exposes the systematic and widespread targeting of Saharawi activists and defenders. Yet, it barely begins to reveal the relentless daily suppression endured by the Saharawi people in Occupied Western Sahara”, the organizations stated. “Despite repeated UN condemnations, Morocco continues to target Sahrawi civilians simply for who they are — with complete impunity. The situation is growing more dangerous by the day, as the UN has been denied access to the territory for nearly a decade, leaving human rights protection non-existent and neglected.”

Since the complaint was submitted, two of the victims—Fatimato Dahouar and Hijji Ḿbarek—have passed away. “These two activists devoted their lives to the struggle for their people’s freedom. Fatimato endured 16 years of enforced disappearance at the hands of Morocco, yet she remained a fearless leader and stood unwavering until the very end. In their honor and for all Saharawi victims, we will continue the strive for the freedoms and fundamental rights of all Saharawis and for the release of all Saharawi political prisoners,” affirmed the submitting organizations.

To highlight the current situation in Occupied Western Sahara and the content of the latest UN document, the submitting organizations will on 14 June 2025 organize a webinar.

This latest communication follows a series of previous UN communications raising similar concerns over the past five years—including MAR 1/2025, MAR 2/2024, MAR 2/2023, MAR 3/2022, MAR 4/2021, MAR 5/2021, MAR 5/2020, MAR 3/2020, MAR 2/2020, MAR 5/2019, MAR 2/2019, and MAR 1/2019. Despite Morocco’s responses to many of these letters, the UN experts note with alarm that patterns of repression, harassment, and discrimination against Sahrawi individuals and organizations have not only continued but worsened.

The communication was signed by K.P. Ashwini, UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Satterthwaite – UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Alice Jill Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences.

In a response of 16 May 2025, Morocco largely denied the allegations, claiming that the communication is a result of the politicization and weaponization of the UN Special Procedures against Morocco.

Find joint press release by Working Group on Human Rights in Occupied Western Sahara (WGHRWS), the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH) and CODESA in English, French, Spanish, Arabic.