London (UK) Feb21, 2013(SPS) MPS, diplomats, human rights sympathizers and personalities from UK, Australia, and Switzerland and around the world, have urged the international community to speak out against arbitrary sentences against 25 Saharawi political prisoners by Moroccan military tribunal on Feb16.
“We urge the international community to speak out against these sentences and support our call for independent human rights monitoring in Western Sahara.” they wrote in a letter published on Wednesday at the Guardian newspaper.
“The sentencing of 24 Saharawi activists by a Moroccan military tribunal last weekend is a travesty of justice. The defendants, most of whom received sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment, were involved in setting-up the Gdeim Izik protest camp in Western Sahara in 2010,”
“Widely regarded as the first spark of the Arab spring. Amnesty International has described their trial as flawed from the outset, in violation of international standards for fair trials.”
“The defendants claim to have been coerced into signing confessions” they said, adding that the military court “appears to have been a politically motivated show trial.” calling for new civilian court to the Saharawi political prisoners.
“It should not have been delayed by over two years and allegations of torture should have been fully and independently investigated.”
The personalities that signed this appeal are
Jeremy Corbyn Chair, all Party Parliamentary Group on Western Sahara
Mark Williams MP
Cathy Jamieson MP
Paul Flynn MP
Andy Love MP
Katy Clarke MP
Kelvin Hopkins MP
Ken Loach
John Pilger
Carne Ross Director, Independent Diplomat
John Gurr Co-ordinator, Western Sahara Campaign UK
John Hilary Executive director, War on Want
Don Pepper Chair, Strategic Conflict Resolution Group
Erik Hagen Chair, Western Sahara Resource Watch
Johanna Svanelind Students for a Free Western Sahara
Danielle Smith Founding director, Sandblast
Sidahmad Yadasi Adala UK (Human Rights for Western Sahara)
Professor Chrisdtiane Perregaux University of Geneva, Comité Suisse de Soutien au Peuple Sahraoui
Dave Green National officer, Fire Brigades Union
Tom O'Bryan Western Sahara Action Forum
Cate Lewis Australia Western Sahara Association
David Stothard Director, Olive Branch Arts(SPS)
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