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.
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.
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.
This week, Morocco is for the first time placed under review in the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
At least 520 families are said to have been evacuated in the Dakhla camp this week after heavy rains.
The Norwegian-owned 'Caroline Theresa' called at two ports in the occupied territories last week.
In a recent published decision of 1 April 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention requested the immediate release of the young Saharawi journalist Khatri Dadda.
The occupying power Morocco, which sabotages the work of the UN Human Rights Council in occupied Western Sahara, has begun its first session after being elected to preside the Council.
Today, Morocco was elected to chair the UN Human Rights Council. The result generated strong reactions.
"The credibility of the UN system is at stake", says the Norwegian Support Committee about this week's election of a new presidency of the Human Rights Council. Norwegian organizations are critical of the candidacy.
A Saharawi activist in Moroccan prison last week initiated an open hunger strike.
A new report reveals that there is a large-scale export of old Norwegian fishing vessels to vulnerable waters along the African coast. 8 ended up outside occupied Western Sahara.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled in favour of the two Saharawi sisters Sultana and Luara Khaya.
The torture and detention of 10 Saharawi students by Moroccan authorities must be investigated and denounced. This is the demand in a complaint submitted today to the UN Special Procedures.
A 16 day-long campaign will shed light on violence committed against women in occupied Western Sahara.
One film festival in the world is different from all others. Read Asria Taleb's encounter with a festival audience in the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria - including her connection with a complete stranger.
As a consequence of the increased global food prices, a nutrition crisis is already developing among Saharawi children in Algeria.
A group of Saharawi political prisoners today filed a legal complaint against Morocco in to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The Saharawi student activist Mohammed Layichi has been on hunger strike for almost a month.
A group of friends for Western Sahara consisting of representatives from all nine political parties was established today in the Norwegian parliament
What is being done to prevent that Norwegian salmon production undermines food security in West Africa? The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara has challenged Norway's 40 largest aquaculture companies.
Two well-known Saharawi student activists were this week arrested in Agadir. A trial is expected to start today.
Since 1 April, two Saharawi political prisoners have been on hunger strike, in protest of the deplorable conditions they are living under.
Of the 26 shipments that transported phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara last year, three were insured by Norwegian maritime insurance companies, new report shows.
So far, Yahya Mohamed Elhafed Iaazza has spent 14 years in Moroccan jails.
"A regrettable situation", says the director of the shipping company Belships, calling for a ban from the Norwegian authorities.
We have talked to human rights activist Mahfouda, who recently was sentenced to six months in a Moroccan prison for reprimanding a judge.
On 29 September, the European Court of Justice struck down the EU's trade and fisheries agreements with Morocco in occupied Western Sahara, deemed to be in breach of international law.
Morocco must stop targeting human rights defenders and journalists standing up for human rights in Western Sahara, and allow them to work without reprisals, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said today.
In an early morning raid today, masked agents terrorized and assaulted the home of the Saharawi human rights defender Sultana Khaya, stole belongings and took three activists to an undisclosed location.
On 7 June 2019, videos began to circulate showing Moroccan police brutally beating up a Saharawi journalist in occupied Western Sahara. Today, a UN opinion calling for his release from prison was made public.
The Saharawi activist Sultana Khaya and her family has for almost 10 weeks been harrassed by Moroccan police when leaving or entering their home in occupied Western Sahara. Help us to denounce.
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.
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.
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.
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.
53 Norwegian civil society organisations today sent a joint letter to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs asking the Norwegian government to support the rights of the Saharawi people as Norway is to take a seat in the UN Security Council from 1 January.
Pressure is intensifying on journalists in occupied Western Sahara. Yesterday evening, Moroccan authorities crashed and harassed a wedding party between two journalist colleagues.
War has broken out in Western Sahara. A Norwegian gas transport may be on its way into the territory.
The human rights violations taking place right now in occupied Western Sahara need to be denounced. Here are some suggestions on how to do that.
"The Gdeim Izik events in October 2020 until the Guerguerat demonstration in 2020 can be read as a sign of the UN's lack of orientation", writes Saharawi political prisoner Naama Asfari from his prison cell.
The Norwegian certification company DNV GL today stated that it is will phase out its participation in Soluna's controversial bitcoin project in occupied Western Sahara.
Four days after telling his daughter that he had shared cell with a probable covid-19 patient, Elhafed disappeared. For three weeks, no one has heard from the Saharawi political prisoner.
On 21 July 2020, a joint communication was issued by five UN mandate holders into the case of the 21-year-old Saharawi activist Khatri Dadda, currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Moroccan jail.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention today recalled its request to Morocco to immediately release a group of imprisoned Saharawi students.
A Saharawi student who was deported from Spain to Morocco without having his asylum application considered is next week facing trial in Moroccan court. The UN recently pronounced its concerns.
After strict measures for several month, the pandemic has now arrived the vulnerable Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria.
“Try to Visit Western Sahara”…
We compile the latest news about the corona crisis in occupied Western Sahara and in the refugee camps. LATEST: The corona virus has arrived the refugee camps in Algeria.
After Moroccan settlers in the fisheries industry returned from Morocco to occupied Western Sahara, the number of positive corona patients in the territory has increased with 8250 percent in less than a week.
“A prison is normally filled with constant noise from all the prisoners. But not Ait Melloul. In Ait Melloul the silence is terrorizing you and only broken by the screams of prisoners getting tortured.” Our new report tells the story of a group of prisoners that the UN asks to be released.
A vessel transporting Norwegian gas was supposed to arrrive in occupied Western Sahara tomorrow, but has now steered away last minute, as ordered by the exporter in Norway.
Saharawi activists are calling for the investigation of the murder of a student activist, which took place two years ago.
The Norwegian state-controlled energy company Equinor ‘regrets’ exports of gas into Western Sahara and promises to never do it again.
This version of www.vest-sahara.no became operational just few days ago. Be patient with us. Until we do the formal launch approx 15 May, things on this site will not necessarily work. Thanks for reporting stuff that don't.
26 Saharawi associations ask for an immediate release of all Saharawi political prisoners, in view of the corona crisis that is hitting Moroccan jails. The appeal includes 230 pages of UN statements on the currently imprisoned activists.
Norwegian minister for foreign affairs, Mrs Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, today expressed concern over the situation for imprisoned Saharawi human rights defenders.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention this week called on Morocco to release a group of Saharawi students, all political prisoners.
The virus could cause significant damage to the Saharawi people. In fact, it already does.
A delegation of all Norwegian political youth parties has returned from a one week visit to the Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria.
Former laureate of the Rafto Award for Human Rights, Sidi Mohamed Daddach, was this weekend attacked by Moroccan police in occupied Western Sahara.
A shocking video last year showed Saharawi journalist Walid El Batal pulled out of a car and beaten by Moroccan police. The UN now calls on full investigation.
A French-Norwegian seismic survey vessel has entered Saharawi waters four times. The company behind the exploration blames its Dutch client.
Human rights defender Aminatu Haidar from Western Sahara is awarded the prestigious Right Livelihood Award in Sweden for 2019, with, among others environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
A judge in occupied Western Sahara today concluded that the verdict in the case against Saharawi journalist Nazha El Khalidi will be announced on 8 July.
The Moroccan ambassador in Oslo stated that Norwegian observers cannot attend trials in Western Sahara, as courtrooms are always closed, including in Norway. The Government of Norway this week stated that this is incorrect.
A judge in occupied Western Sahara today concluded that the verdict in the case against Saharawi journalist Nazha El Khalidi will be announced on 8 July.
Nazha Elkhalidi filmed a street demonstration in December. Now, she is charged, and risks a severe punishment. Here, she is filming her own detention on Facebook Live. Trial tomorrow.
Representatives from all nine political parties at the Norwegian parliament today established a friendship group for Western Sahara.
The UN working group on Arbitrary Detention asks for the immediate release of human rights defender Mbarek Daoudi. Check our mini-report that gives the context.
In 2015 and 2017, the Norwegian shipping company Spar Shipping transported two large cargos of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara to India. The company announced today that further trade from the territory is out of the question.
The situation for the 19 Saharawi political prisoners known as the 'Gdeim Izik group' is increasingly worrisome.
Former President-Rapporteur, United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, expresses deep concern after observing the court case against 24 human rights activists from the occupied parts of Western Sahara. 19 of the 24 Saharawis remain in jail.
The proceedings against the so-called Gdeim Izik political prisoners from occupied Western Sahara is again adjourned, and will recommence on the 8 May at the Court of Appeal in Salé, Morocco.
Today Cheikh Banga, Eenama Asfari and Mohammed Babait gave their testimonies. Just like the previous days the questions they were asked were in direct violations of the Torture Convention. The court was adjourned until Monday 27th of March.
Today Abdallahi Toubali, Sidahmed Lemjeyid and El Bachir Khadda gave their testimonies in front of the court. Toubali was asked to sign two documents with his eyes shut during the testimony. This to prove he was blindfolded while signing his confession.
On day 10 Hassan Dah, Abdallahi Lakfawni and Mohamed Embarch Lefkir, testified in front of the court. Interruptions and humiliating questions were frequent and the testimonies are in violation of the Torture Convention, says international observer.
Get the latest information about the court case against the Gdeim Izik prisoners from occupied Western Sahara. Continuously updated.
Day 13 of the appeal takes place on 8 May 2017.
See an account of the January 2017 court case against Saharawi activists at the Moroccan court in Salé.
The affair of the Norwegian fish oil tanker visiting occupied Western Sahara is receiving international attention.
Serious flaws were made also in round two of trial against the so-called “Gdeim Izik” Saharawi activists in Morocco. Trial has been postponed until 13 March.
