AFAPREDESA

The Association for the Families of Saharawi Prisoners and the Disappeared

About AFAPREDESA

BRIEF INFORMATION ON AFAPREDESA:

The Association for the Families of Saharawi Prisoners and the Disappeared (AFAPREDESA) is born as a civil response to the deplorable human-rights situation, the defenceless position of the disappeared and tortured by the Moroccan authorities and the anguish of its parents, children, spouses and brothers.

Forced disappearance constitutes one of the cruelest forms of psychological torture to the relatives of the missing person. It is worse than death, as it is the lack of certainty about it. As judge Bartle puts it, in his recent resolution in relation to the trial for extradition of life senator Augusto Pinochet, where he ratifies the character of psychological torture the relatives suffer. Doctors and psycologists assure that this pain is still more inbearable.

AFAPREDESA was constituted on the 20th of August of 1989 in the refugee-camps of Tinduf. Under Saharaui law, it is the only Non-Governmental Organization in defense of Saharaui Human rights. It is an observant member for the African Commission of Human rights and member of the Federation of Associations of Relatives of the Disappeared (FEDEFAM)

It participates in the Commission and Subcommission of Human rights of the UN in Geneva and the OUA.

It also acts before the European Parliament.

AFAPREDESA has been proscribed by the Moroccan government, but even so it continues exerting its activity within the Saharaui occupied territory and even within Morocco.