Brussels, Oct 27, 2017 (SPS) - A delegation of European parliamentarians was prevented Friday at Laayoune airport from getting off the plane by the Moroccan authorities of occupation, as it was preparing to head for the occupied territories of Western Sahara to enquire about the situation of human rights, said Sahrawi Minister Delegate for Europe Mohamed Sidati.
“Five members of the European Parliament intergroup peace for the Sahrawi people, including the intergroup President Jytte Guteland and her two vice-presidents Paloma Lopez and Bodil Valero were prevented from getting off the plane carrying them from Strasbourg via Canary Islands this Friday 27 October,” he told APS.
These Euro-deputies of different parties represented in the European Parliament intended to stay in Western Sahara to enquire about the situation of human rights in the occupied territories. They were supposed to meet with human rights organizations and representatives of civil society.
The expulsion of the delegation of the European parliamentarians is a “flagrant” attempt to “hide the reality of the systematic repression from which the Sahrawis are suffering,” affirmed Sidati, citing in this regard, the assassination, recently, of the young Mentu Ment Mohamed Echeikh in Dakhla.
In a letter sent to the presidents of EUs’ different bodies, the Sahrawi minister underlined that this umpteenth expulsion of European deputies has only one purpose that is to “hide the crimes committed against humanity by the Moroccan authorities of occupation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.”
Expressing his solidarity with the expelled Euro-deputies namely Jytte Guteland, Paloma Lopez, Bodil Valero, Lidia Senra and Josu Juaristi, Sidati urged EU and human rights organizations to “act urgently to lift the military siege and media blockade on the region.”
Sahrawi minister also stressed the urgent need to allow independent observers and international press to get freely to Western Sahara.SPS
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