Oslo, April 23, 2020 (SPS) - Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said Norwegian authorities are very concerned about the situation in Moroccan prisons and the situation of Sahrawi human rights defenders .
In response, in writing, to Norwegian Parliament member Åsmund Aukrust, Ine Eriksen Søreide said that the Norwegian embassy in Rabat is regularly working with the situation of Sahrawi human rights defenders detained in Moroccan prisons, especially in the current situation in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.
On March 25, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights launched an appeal asking governments to take measures to prevent prisoners from contracting the coronavirus, in this case asking for their release due to the ineffectiveness of social distancing in many prisons known for their overcrowding.
For its part, the Association for the Protection of Sahrawi Prisoners in Moroccan jails raised the alarm about the situation of Sahrawi political prisoners after receiving complaints from some Sahrawi civilian prisoners about the lack of hygiene and the preventive measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Norway cooperates closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and is among the major donors to the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR). SPS
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