The six Sahrawi human rights defenders detained in Salé prison in Morocco have sent an open letter of appreciation for all those who have been campaigning for their release, particularly during their 41 days of hunger strike, including Front Line.

Further Information

In their letter, dated 30 April 2010 the six HRDs, namely: Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahan, Ahmed Naciri, Yahdih Ettarrouzi, Rachid Sghayar and Saleh Lebaihi stated: “Not only did your invaluable support help us, as Sahrawi hunger-striking prisoners in the Moroccan jails, overcome whatever difficulties and continue our struggle, but it also set up a large dynamism which gathered different defenders of human dignity to denounce, in strong and collective ways, the inhuman crimes perpetrated against the Sahrawi civilians in the occupied part of the Western Sahara” they stated further that: “Hence, a mending measure has to take place as soon as possible; that is to say, an urgent need for adequate laws as far as the protection of human rights is concerned has now become indispensable. Simply put, a mechanism to monitor human rights in the Western Sahara has to be included in the mandate of the MINURSO on the ground” (see attached translation of the letter).

Front line has been reporting on the detention of the six Saharawi HRDs since their arrest on 8 October 2009, and has send a letter on 28 April 2010 to members of the UN Security Council calling for extending the remit of MINURSO in Western Sahara to monitor human rights including the protection of human rights defenders. For previous updates and appeals relating to the six defenders, see http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/2471. For more info regarding Front Line’s letter to the Security Council, see http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/2480.