Both the Spanish League for Human Rights and another association
that supposedly also pleads for the defence of the human rights called "Sahrawi
Association of Human Rights", issued a joint statement on
February 22, 2007 in El-Ayoune, Western Sahara about the visit conducted
by Spanish League of Human Rights to the territories to this zone, in
answer to the invitation done by the supposed Sahrawi association, which
said in the statement signed by both parties:
- The visit included meetings with associations of the civil society in
Western Sahara and the political and governmental representatives as
well as associations of Sahrawi political detainees of both parties,
POLISARIO and Morocco, and that demands of the victims declined to
material compensation.
- The Spanish League, according to the statement, confirmed its consent
to the establishment of future meetings between Sahrawis, inside and
outside the Territory, and pointed, at last, that, during their visit to
the territory, they have not seen any public demonstrations or any other
breach of security.
1 - The associations undersigned this statement express their
astonishment of the way in which the press release was written and of
the incomprehensible expressions which it includes, such as: Create an
atmosphere of reconciliation between Sahrawis, inside and outside the
Territory, which means that the Western Sahara conflict is only between
Sahrawis and this is not real and does not concord with the statutes of
the United Nations and the Security Council as well as all relevant
regional and international human rights and political organisations.
2 - How was the Spanish League allowed to visit the territory at this
particular time, while the Moroccan authorities banned many
organizations and commissions of human rights to visit the region, the
most recent was the Special Commission of the European Parliament in
charge of human rights.
3 - Why did not the Spanish League contact the active Associations of
human rights in the region which have some of its members within the
Moroccan prisons who are holding an open hunger strike during these days?
Despite all efforts to contact the Spanish League were unsuccessful, the
most recent one was the call of the president of the ASVDH to Mr. Miguel
4 – The Spanish League met only some people who have already filed
lawsuits against the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) and
the Moroccan well-known journalist Mr. Ali LEMRABET, who was sentenced
to ten years prohibited the practice of journalistic work for nothing,
but because he dared to tell the truth about the violations of human
rights committed by the Moroccan state in Western Sahara
5 - The statement did not refer to the arbitrary arrest against the
Swedish journalist. Lars BJORK, which coincided with the visit of the
Spanish League, who was expelled from the province and accused by the
Public Prosecution of El-Ayoune, for inciting and filming
demonstrations. Also, in the same day, many Sahrawi citizens were beaten
and kicked in the streets of El-Ayoune, and others were detained in the
police stations.
6 - The conclusions of the statement of the Spanish League are totally
incompatible with the reports of international human rights
organizations which had visited the province; the last report was the
one of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
7 - We, associations and committees located in Western Sahara, consider
that the work done by the Spanish League during its visit to the region lacks credibility and objectivity and
was not neutral. Therefore, we urge the Spanish League to reconsider the
issued statement, and we call
upon them to visit the province again to lead a transparent and
impartial investigation on the serious violations occurred in the region
and to meet all the active human rights defenders.
Signed:
Sahrawi Association Of the Victims of the Grave Violations of Human
Rights Committed by the Moroccan State
The president: Mr. Brahim DAHANE
Sahrawi Committee for Support to Self-determination in Western Sahara
The president: Mr. Sidi Mohamed DADACH