Morocco/Western Sahara
23.11.01
Urgent Interventions
Morocco/Western Sahara: violent acts by armed forces against the civil population in the occupied town of Smara
Case MAR 231101
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Morocco/Western Sahara :
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has been informed of the violent acts of the Moroccan occupying forces upon the civil population in the occupied town of Smara. As a result, a number of people were injured, numerous arrested, houses pillaged and a general state of confusion now reigns.
According to a number of reliable sources, including the Saharan Association of the families of Prisoners and Disappeared persons, AFAPREDESA, on 17 November 2001 at 11.00am, a number of units of the Moroccan occupying forces, above all the Mobile Intervention Company (CMI), reinforced by the army, attacked and beat inhabitants of the town who were carrying out a sit-in at the Town Hall, a peaceful demonstration organised to express the Saharan population’s claim to the right to dignity and to freedom from political repression.
The reports state that as a result of this violent intervention number of people were injured and some 50 arrested. After these violent events against the demonstrators, a number of houses were broken into and since then, the town has been under curfew, its shops and businesses have closed and the security forces have proceeded to search out and persecute any person suspected of having taken part in the sit-in. Some demonstrators set fire to the headquarters of the second district security forces, burned a Morroccan police car and damaged a number of others.
The names of the following persons arrested on 17 November 2001 have been made available : Ahmadnah uld Butaina uld addaia uld Yousef; Moulud uld Aali uld Moulud; Ahmed-Salem uld Nafaa; Husein Bujari; Mohamed-Salem uld Omar ul Aamir; Ounnani uld Mohamed-Salem uld Al Bar; Daddi Mohamed-Salem Hamma; Echaia Mahdi Bubakkar; Chabba Brahim Kaber; Nafi uld Hamdi uld Addalaa; Arratou uld Omar uld Aamer; Mareyam Mohamed-Salem Hadi; Matou Addaf; Mohamed-Aalem Aloui; Maalainin Albouhati; Mohamed-Salem uld Bachir uld Mohamed-Ali; Mohamed uld Mohamed Salem; M'barek uld Mohamed Karroum; Abieh uld Lalah and Sleima uld Omar uld Aamir.
According to the reports, all the detainees have been the object of ill treatment and torture, and have been interrogated brutally and insulted by the Moroccan police, who taunted them in particular with the name of the well-known political prisoner, Mohamed Daddach. (See OMCT Appeals MAR 050901 and 050901.1) The security forces reportedly did not respect the elderly nor persons who were praying. In Tan Tan, the districe worst hit, the following persons’ houses were sacked : Fatma Algalia Haddou (an elderly person); Hamoudi uld Ali (an elderly person); Abbaih uld Lallah (an elderly person); Lahbib uld Allal (an elderly person); Mohamed uld Albardi; M'barka Aalina Lamsali; Rougia Mant Bani; Uld Didi; Sleima; Omar uld Aamir; Fdili uld Albaz; Mohamed Ali uld Jarroub and Gailla.
Later reports add that on 19 November 2001 the authorities transferred 16 young persons detained on 17 November to the occupied town of, to be brought to trial on 20 November. The verdict of this trial has not yet been announced. The names of the persons transferred to El Aaiún are : Daoud Brahim Limam Ahmed; Musaui Nafi Imaslah Mohamed-Lamin; Busati Maalenin Abdelahi Mohamed-Mahmud; Lajdar Lejlifa Abda Lawlad; Saluki El-Atar Daf ; Mohamed-Salem Mohamed-Saleh Bada; Sidi Atman Malah ElBar Mohamed-Saleh; Mohamed ElJalil sid-Ahmed Belkasem; Ahmeidi Mohamed Said Balal; Ahmed Mohamed Yeslem Bahaha; Bouhbus Abdelfattah ElHusein Muelid; Sidati Yusef Ntaitich and Alouat Mohamed Salem.
There is reportedly in circulation a search and arrest warrant for a number of young Saharans from Smara : the following names apparently appear on the police list : Ahmed Mohamed Lamin Yiad ; Nafi Mohamed Dalaa; Baiba Sidi M´hamed and Mahfud Sidi Ali-Salem Sidi-Mohamed.
The reports add that among the injured Saharans, he following persons are in a critical state : Galla Hamdi Chej Ali and Ahmed-salem Mohamed-saleh Badda, who was run over by a security force vehicle, then dragged 300 metres on a rope attached to a car. Moreover, seven members of the Moroccan security forces are hospitalised due to injuries received during the clashes.
According to the latest reports, a Saharan named M´barek Karrum was seemingly taken by the Moroccan Security forces and is now missing. M´barek Karrum had apparently been involved in organising a visit to Smara by Mohamed Daddach.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the serious concerns voiced by AFAPREDESA and other local human rights groups for the security and for the physical and psychological integrity of the detainees mentioned above and in general for that of the Saharan civil population as a whole, and also condemns the use of physical force by the Moroccan police against the civil population.
Requested Action:
Please write to the Moroccan Authorities urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the imprisoned demonstrators;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into these violent events in order to identify those reponsible, bring them to justice and apply the civil, penal or adminstrative sanctions stipulted by law;
iii. end the harrassment of the population of Western Sahara and ensure the release of those detained in the absence of valid legal charges;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties in all the country in accordance with national law and international human rights norms.
Adresses
· Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI, Palais Royal, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 73 07 72
· M. Abderrahmane El Youssoufi, Premier Ministre, Bureau du Premier Ministre et Ministre de Affaires Etrangères, Et de la Coopération, Palais Royal, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 76 91 95, 212 37 76 77 68
· M. Ahmed El Midaoui, Ministre de l’Intérieur, Quartier Administratif, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 76 20 64
· M. Omar Azziman, Ministre de la Justice, Palais de la Mamounia, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 73 07 72, 212 37 73 89 40, 212 37 73 27 10
· M. Mohamed Aujjar, Ministre des Droits de l’homme, Fax : 212 37 67.19.67
Please write to the diplomatic representations of Morocco in your respective countries.
Geneva, 23 November 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Morocco/Western Sahara :
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has been informed of the violent acts of the Moroccan occupying forces upon the civil population in the occupied town of Smara. As a result, a number of people were injured, numerous arrested, houses pillaged and a general state of confusion now reigns.
According to a number of reliable sources, including the Saharan Association of the families of Prisoners and Disappeared persons, AFAPREDESA, on 17 November 2001 at 11.00am, a number of units of the Moroccan occupying forces, above all the Mobile Intervention Company (CMI), reinforced by the army, attacked and beat inhabitants of the town who were carrying out a sit-in at the Town Hall, a peaceful demonstration organised to express the Saharan population’s claim to the right to dignity and to freedom from political repression.
The reports state that as a result of this violent intervention number of people were injured and some 50 arrested. After these violent events against the demonstrators, a number of houses were broken into and since then, the town has been under curfew, its shops and businesses have closed and the security forces have proceeded to search out and persecute any person suspected of having taken part in the sit-in. Some demonstrators set fire to the headquarters of the second district security forces, burned a Morroccan police car and damaged a number of others.
The names of the following persons arrested on 17 November 2001 have been made available : Ahmadnah uld Butaina uld addaia uld Yousef; Moulud uld Aali uld Moulud; Ahmed-Salem uld Nafaa; Husein Bujari; Mohamed-Salem uld Omar ul Aamir; Ounnani uld Mohamed-Salem uld Al Bar; Daddi Mohamed-Salem Hamma; Echaia Mahdi Bubakkar; Chabba Brahim Kaber; Nafi uld Hamdi uld Addalaa; Arratou uld Omar uld Aamer; Mareyam Mohamed-Salem Hadi; Matou Addaf; Mohamed-Aalem Aloui; Maalainin Albouhati; Mohamed-Salem uld Bachir uld Mohamed-Ali; Mohamed uld Mohamed Salem; M'barek uld Mohamed Karroum; Abieh uld Lalah and Sleima uld Omar uld Aamir.
According to the reports, all the detainees have been the object of ill treatment and torture, and have been interrogated brutally and insulted by the Moroccan police, who taunted them in particular with the name of the well-known political prisoner, Mohamed Daddach. (See OMCT Appeals MAR 050901 and 050901.1) The security forces reportedly did not respect the elderly nor persons who were praying. In Tan Tan, the districe worst hit, the following persons’ houses were sacked : Fatma Algalia Haddou (an elderly person); Hamoudi uld Ali (an elderly person); Abbaih uld Lallah (an elderly person); Lahbib uld Allal (an elderly person); Mohamed uld Albardi; M'barka Aalina Lamsali; Rougia Mant Bani; Uld Didi; Sleima; Omar uld Aamir; Fdili uld Albaz; Mohamed Ali uld Jarroub and Gailla.
Later reports add that on 19 November 2001 the authorities transferred 16 young persons detained on 17 November to the occupied town of, to be brought to trial on 20 November. The verdict of this trial has not yet been announced. The names of the persons transferred to El Aaiún are : Daoud Brahim Limam Ahmed; Musaui Nafi Imaslah Mohamed-Lamin; Busati Maalenin Abdelahi Mohamed-Mahmud; Lajdar Lejlifa Abda Lawlad; Saluki El-Atar Daf ; Mohamed-Salem Mohamed-Saleh Bada; Sidi Atman Malah ElBar Mohamed-Saleh; Mohamed ElJalil sid-Ahmed Belkasem; Ahmeidi Mohamed Said Balal; Ahmed Mohamed Yeslem Bahaha; Bouhbus Abdelfattah ElHusein Muelid; Sidati Yusef Ntaitich and Alouat Mohamed Salem.
There is reportedly in circulation a search and arrest warrant for a number of young Saharans from Smara : the following names apparently appear on the police list : Ahmed Mohamed Lamin Yiad ; Nafi Mohamed Dalaa; Baiba Sidi M´hamed and Mahfud Sidi Ali-Salem Sidi-Mohamed.
The reports add that among the injured Saharans, he following persons are in a critical state : Galla Hamdi Chej Ali and Ahmed-salem Mohamed-saleh Badda, who was run over by a security force vehicle, then dragged 300 metres on a rope attached to a car. Moreover, seven members of the Moroccan security forces are hospitalised due to injuries received during the clashes.
According to the latest reports, a Saharan named M´barek Karrum was seemingly taken by the Moroccan Security forces and is now missing. M´barek Karrum had apparently been involved in organising a visit to Smara by Mohamed Daddach.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the serious concerns voiced by AFAPREDESA and other local human rights groups for the security and for the physical and psychological integrity of the detainees mentioned above and in general for that of the Saharan civil population as a whole, and also condemns the use of physical force by the Moroccan police against the civil population.
Requested Action:
Please write to the Moroccan Authorities urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the imprisoned demonstrators;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into these violent events in order to identify those reponsible, bring them to justice and apply the civil, penal or adminstrative sanctions stipulted by law;
iii. end the harrassment of the population of Western Sahara and ensure the release of those detained in the absence of valid legal charges;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties in all the country in accordance with national law and international human rights norms.
Adresses
· Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI, Palais Royal, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 73 07 72
· M. Abderrahmane El Youssoufi, Premier Ministre, Bureau du Premier Ministre et Ministre de Affaires Etrangères, Et de la Coopération, Palais Royal, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 76 91 95, 212 37 76 77 68
· M. Ahmed El Midaoui, Ministre de l’Intérieur, Quartier Administratif, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 76 20 64
· M. Omar Azziman, Ministre de la Justice, Palais de la Mamounia, Rabat, Maroc, Fax : 212 37 73 07 72, 212 37 73 89 40, 212 37 73 27 10
· M. Mohamed Aujjar, Ministre des Droits de l’homme, Fax : 212 37 67.19.67
Please write to the diplomatic representations of Morocco in your respective countries.
Geneva, 23 November 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.