London, March 2, 2013 (SPS) - British Trade Unions Congress (TUC) has called for ensuring a fair trial in a civilian court for the Saharawi activists of human rights, in a letter sent Thursday by its General Secretary to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
“TUC is of the view that the Saharawis concerned have been denied natural justice and urges the Government to use its influence with the Moroccan authorities to ensure that they are given a fair trial in a civilian court and that their allegations of torture and forced confessions be properly investigated,” writes TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady.
The letter expressed TUC’s deep concern over the sentencing of Saharawis by a military court in Rabat on Sunday 17 February 2013, noting that the military court went ahead with the trials in crass disregard of the numerous calls by human rights organizations including Amnesty International for an independent and impartial trial in a civilian court.
It therefore highlighted that the defence lawyers have pointed to a number of irregularities including the lack of strong evidence against the accused.
It should be recalled that 24 Saharawi rights activists unfairly convicted by the Moroccan martial court in Rabat on 16 February 2013, following the violent dismantling of Gdeim Izik protest camp by Moroccan forces and police on 8 November 2010.
090/089/000