February 2013

London, Feb 25, 2013 (SPS) - Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) asked Monday the Danish company “Danske Vejsal” to stop importing salt of Western Sahara for the treatment of road works in winter, according to a statement published on its website.


“Danish winter roads must not be de-iced at the expense of human rights violations. Danske Vejsalt must immediately stop its purchase from the occupied territories,” stated Morten Nielsen of Afrika Kontakt.

Shahed Al hafed (refugee camps), Feb 25, 2013 (SPS) - The Saharawi civil society has appealed to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assume its full responsibilities in defending and protecting Saharawi civilians, by every possible means, from Moroccan oppression, in a peaceful vigil of solidarity with Gdeim Izik prisoners organized Monday outside UNHCR's office in the Saharawi refugee camps.

Algiers, Feb 25, 2013 (SPS) - Representatives of Algerian and African origin community living in France, who are in solidarity with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), organized Sunday evening in Algiers a rally, in which they expressed solidarity with the 25 Saharawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik, condemning the “severe sentences” pronounced in their case by the military court in Rabat.

Sale (Morocco), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The Saharawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik, who were sentenced to heavy military judgments, announced, in a statement, that they will launch a 48-hour alarming hunger strike starting from Monday.


The group said that they want to show solidarity with their companion prisoner Abdallahi Lakhfawni, who is on hunger strike for the 4 consecutive day, and to denounce the torture experienced against Al-Bachir Jadda, Mohamed Juna Babit, Deich Addafi, Mohamed Mbarek Lafgir and Sid Ahmed Lamjaiad.

El Aaiun (occupied territories), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), El Aaiun branch, said that the occupied city of El Aaiun witnesses tight security, police and military siege since the beginning of the martial trial of Gdeim izik prisoners, informed the Association in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The statement added that the streets, neighborhoods and educational institutions of El Aaiun were full of Moroccan occupation forces, both official and secret apparatus.

Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The Frente POLISARIO has described the sentences issued against the Saharawi activists as "unacceptable affront" to human dignity and fundamental rights of the Saharawi people, in a letter sent by the Saharawi Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek t his counterpart in the world.

below the full text of the letter:
 

"Excellency,
 

Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek has urged, in a letter on Sunday, his counterpart in the world to take action within the framework of the United Nations for the revoking of the harsh sentences against Gdeim izik group and immediate release of the Saharawi political prisoners and human rights activists.

Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The President of the Republic and Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz sent Sunday a letter of congratulation to Dr. Keith Mitchell following his election as a prime minister of Grenada, succeeding Mr. Tillman Thomas.


“On behalf of people of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and my own behalf, I am pleased to convey to you warm congratulations on your assuming office as Prime Minister of Grenada,” wrote President of the Republic.

El Aaiun (occupied territories), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The Saharawi Media Group in the occupied city of El Aaiun, capital of Western Sahara, made Wednesday a report following the overall and day-to-day course of the trial of Gdeim Izik prisoners.


Trial of 24 Akdeim Izik- Report from Equipo Mediático:

London, Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The British human rights NGO “Sandblast” strongly condemned Saturday the trial of the 24 Saharawi political prisoners, known as Gdeim Izik group, by a martial court in Morocco, calling on Moroccan authorities to release them.


The NGO described the trial as the “arbitrary,” indicating that it constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of human rights.

Brussels, Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D Group) expressed, in a press release statement published on Thursday, serious concerns on the conviction of a group of Sahrawi human rights activists, call for the protection of Saharawi fundamental rights, such as the right to assembly and freedom of expression, informed POLISARIO Representation to Belgium.

Boujdour (refugee camps), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - Participants at the 4th training session of Saharawi Imams have asked Imams of the Islamic world to act in favour of breaking the wall of silence imposed on Moroccan regime injustice and oppression in the occupied Western Sahara.

Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - The Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr.

Paris, Feb 24, 2013 (SPS) - “The fundamental human rights of the Sahrawi populations are violated in Western Sahara,” said Friday in Paris the chief diplomatic advisor to the president of the European Parliament, Alexandre Stutzmann.

Budapest, Feb 23, 2013 (SPS) - The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) strongly condemned the sentences issued against the Saharawis arrested after the eviction of Gdeim Izik Camp, considering it a “farcical trial”, not only against the group, but against an entire people struggling for their freedom and independence.


“From WFDY we want to show our strong condemn to the sentences issued against the Saharawi fighters, demanding their immediate release,” reads a statement issued Friday a copy of it reached SPS.

El Aaiun (occupied territories), Feb 23, 2013 (SPS) - Moroccan occupation authorities expelled Friday a Spanish delegation, which consists 09 rights activists and sympathizers, from the airport of occupied El Aaiun, informed a rights source.
Members of the delegation expressed their disapproval to this violation by Moroccan occupation authorities at El Aaiun airport.


“Moroccan occupation authorities tried hard to stop us even from getting off the plane,” said one of the activists.

Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Feb 23, 2013 (SPS) - The President of the Republic and Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz called, in a letter a copy of it reached Friday SPS, attention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay regarding the political motives behind the heavy sentences pronounced by Moroccan martial court against 25 Saharawi rights activists on Feb 17th.

Strasbourg, Feb 23, 2013 (SPS) - A group of the Social Democrats in the European Parliament condemns “forcefully” the heavy sentences handed down by the Moroccan military court of Rabat against the Sahrawi human rights activists, according to a statement released Thursday.


The group expressed its deep concern over the sentencing by Moroccan military court of a group of Saharawi human rights activists, calling on Morocco to respect the basic rights of the Saharawis, including the right to assembly and freedom of expression.

Accra, Feb 22, 2013 (SPS) - The Ghana Forum on Western Sahara has condemned the heavy sentences against the Saharawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik, calling their “immediate and unconditional” release, in a press statement issued Friday a copy of it reached SPS.
 

“The Ghana Forum on Western Sahara adds its voice to the widespread condemnation of last Saturday’s heavy jail sentence arbitrarily imposed on 24 Saharawi activists by a military court in Morocco,” reads the statement.
 

Helsinki, Feb 22, 2013 (SPS) - The Communist Party of Finland has condemned the sentenced pronounced by Moroccan military court against 25 Saharawi political prisoners, demanding, in a statement on Friday, their immediate release.