Geneva, 13 March 2022 (SPS) - The American Association for Jurists has expressed its concerns about the criminal charges and actions taken by the Moroccan occupation forces against human rights defenders in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
A statement by the Association, delivered by Sahrawi activist, Sheikha Abdallah, on Friday, during the debate of the third item of the work of the session of the Human Rights Council - said: "We share the concerns expressed by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms. Mary Lawlor, particularly with regard to criminal charges, legal proceedings against human rights defenders and the lack of protection that human rights defenders and journalists should enjoy.”
She noted that "the report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders focused on an important and very sensitive issue related to human rights, simply because it is an illegal diversion of decisions and public and private interests that may violate various individual rights, as well as the rights of society or people as a whole".
The same statement noted that the Saharan people, for example, "although many articles of the Moroccan Penal Code deal with corruption, the prolonged illegal occupation of most of the territory of Western Sahara has been fueled with heavy and negative corruption both Moroccan authorities and foreign companies."
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