Vitoria (Spain), December 18, 2024 (SPS) - The congress hall in the city of Vitoria (Basque region) hosted a roundtable attended by a group of legal and diplomatic personalities to discuss the judicial developments concerning the issue of Western Sahara.
At the table, organized by the deputy representative of the Polisario Front in the Basque region, Fatma Mohamed Salem Labyad, participated Oubbi Bouchraya Bachir, the representative of the Polisario Front in Switzerland and at the United Nations in Geneva, Abdullah Al-Arabi, representative of the Polisario Front in Spain, accompanied by Juan Sorita, a professor of international law at the University of San Sebastián, and Ms. Ines Miranda, president of the International Association of Jurists for Western Sahara.
Mr. Juan Sorita reviewed the legal process of Western Sahara from the 1960s to the present day, recalling Spain's historical and legal responsibility as the former colonial power and the necessity to decolonize this territory, in accordance with United Nations resolutions and international conventions.
For his part, Oubbi Bouchraya focused on the remarkable evolution of European court positions, tracing a series of decisions from December 2016 to February 2018 and September 2021, including the one made on October 4, 2024. These decisions resulted in the annulment of the economic agreements signed between the European Union and the European Council with Morocco regarding Western Sahara, as these agreements were concluded without consulting the Sahrawi people and their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front.
He also called for activating these provisions at both official and grassroots levels, to ensure respect for international law and the rights of the Sahrawi people.
Ms. Ines Miranda mentioned the role of her association in providing legal support to the Sahrawi people, noting that her organization includes international lawyers working to ensure justice for the Sahrawi people.
She emphasized the importance of unifying legal efforts to address current challenges, believing that this legal battle will pave the way for empowering Sahrawis in their right to self-determination.
For his part, Abdullah Al-Arabi discussed the legal battle in Spain, highlighting the overlap between judicial procedures and political movements, and criticized the current position of the Spanish government, calling for a return to respecting international legitimacy.
He also praised the broad support from Spanish solidarity movements towards the Sahrawi issue, emphasizing that popular pressure could play a decisive role in changing Spanish policy regarding Western Sahara.
This roundtable highlights the importance of legal and political work in defending the rights of the Sahrawi people. While legal efforts continue on the European and international stage, popular solidarity and the official position of influential countries remain the cornerstone for obtaining justice and enabling the Sahrawi people to determine their fate in accordance with international legitimacy.
The roundtable took place in the presence of representatives from the regional government and members of the Spanish national and regional parliament of the Basque region, in addition to a large gathering of the Sahrawi community.