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EU delegation prevented entry to occupied El Aaiun

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Casablanca (Morocco), March 8, 2013 (SPS) - A delegation of four members of the European Union and five parliamentary assistants, heading for of El Aaiun, the occupied Sahrawi capital, was not allowed to enter Morocco and has been expelled Wednesday as they landed in Casablanca’s airport.


The members of this delegation, representing several parliamentary groups of the European Parliament, were heading for El Aaiun to inquire with the Sahrawi defenders of human rights and officials of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso) about the situation of human rights in the occupied Sahrawi territories.


This delegation’s visit is a part of the implementation of January’s European Union resolution demanding “the release of the Sahrawi political prisoners” and “the respect of human rights in Western Sahara.”


The delegation includes the MP Willy Meyer, European-Spanish United Left Group, MP Ivo Figel, Liberals Group in Slovenia and President of MPs Group for Western Sahara, MP Isabel Leuven, Greens Group in Sweden, MP Vicente Garcés, Spanish Social Democratic Group, Elvira Hernandez, Advisor of European-Spanish United Left, Ingo Hymer, vice-MP, in addition to the President of the German MPs for Western Sahara, Miguel Caraballo, assistant of the MP Ana Gomes of Portugal, Eva Lindqvist, assistant of the MP Isabel Leuven of Sweden and Zusak Depie, director of OXFAM branch in Morocco. (SPS)


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