Occupied Laayoune, July 1, 2026 (SPS) – Sahrawi human rights defenders in the occupied territories affirmed their full solidarity with the political detainees languishing in Moroccan prisons, led by the “Gdeim Izik” group, in the face of practices of repression, escalating violations and arbitrary detention against them, in light of the Moroccan occupation continuing to ignore their legitimate demands, in blatant defiance of all international and humanitarian conventions.
A number of Sahrawi activists, during a communication meeting in occupied Laayoune under the title “The Battle of Dignity: An Urgent Solidarity Appeal,” addressed a call to the human rights authorities to intervene “immediately” in order to save the life of the prisoner Naama Asfari and his companions and all Sahrawi prisoners and to ensure their safety, especially with the civilian detainee, who is fighting the battle of the empty stomach, entering its 23rd consecutive day inside the Moroccan Kenitra prison, in protest against the continuing violations that affect his basic rights. And his human dignity.
In this regard, Sahrawi jurist, Sidi Mohamed Dadash, stressed that this open strike is “clear proof of the disastrous conditions that he and all his comrades have been living in for years, which heralds a serious deterioration in their health condition and raises serious fears for their lives,” calling on the United Nations and the competent authorities in the field of human rights to “the necessity of urgent and immediate intervention” to find out the true conditions of the Sahrawi prisoners, while “obliging the Moroccan occupation authorities to respect their obligations under international human rights law.”
The Sahrawi jurist warned that the continued international silence regarding the suffering of Sahrawi prisoners “contributes to the exacerbation of the violations committed against them,” reiterating his call for “urgent and effective” international action to end this suffering and ensure respect for their human rights.
In a related context, Sahrawi human rights activist, Mustafa Ahmed Bano, denounced the arbitrary practices used by the occupation prison administration against Sahrawi prisoners, in light of the worsening harsh conditions of detention, mock trials, preventing them from communicating with their families, and daily mistreatment, calling on the international community, international human rights mechanisms, and all living consciences to defend their legitimate rights.
For her part, Sahrawi human rights activist, Mina Aba Ali, said, “Our standing with Naama Asfari in his open hunger strike and his comrades against injustice, injustice and arbitrary detention is a clear message that we are their voices that have been shouting in solidarity with them outside the walls of prison cells for nearly 16 years against the illegitimacy of the occupation and its brutal practices.”
In the same tone, human rights activist Larousi Al-Taklbut stressed that the ongoing Asfari strike “is an expression of the Sahrawi people’s rejection of the illegal occupation and all forms of oppression imposed on them, and their affirmation of their adherence to their legitimate rights to self-determination and freedom.”
This solidarity step comes after a 48-hour hunger strike by Sahrawi civilian prisoners within the “Gdeim Izik” group in various Moroccan prisons, in solidarity with their comrade Naama Asfari. (SPS)
