Rome (Italy), July 1, 2026 (SPS) – Italian MPs Laura Boldrini and Stefano Vaccari submitted a parliamentary interrogation addressed to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, requesting urgent intervention from the Italian government to press for the release of the Sahrawi political detainee Naama Asfari, and all Sahrawi political detainees in the prisons of the Moroccan occupying state.
The parliamentary interrogation reminds us that Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territory awaiting the completion of the decolonization process, and that its people enjoy, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, an inalienable right to self-determination and independence. In this context, the two representatives stressed the responsibility of the international community to ensure respect for international law and United Nations resolutions related to the conflict.
The interrogation referred to the events that took place in the Karama Gdeim Izik camp in 2010, when the violent dismantling of the camp by the Moroccan occupation forces led to the arrest and conviction of dozens of Sahrawi activists, including Al-Namaa Al-Asfari, who is considered one of the most prominent Sahrawi human rights defenders.
The two Italian parliamentarians explained that Asfari has been on a hunger strike since June 8, 2026, to protest the conditions of his detention, and Morocco’s refusal to implement the decisions and opinions of the United Nations human rights mechanisms.
They also recalled that the United Nations Committee against Torture concluded that the Sahrawi activist was subjected to torture, while the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considered that his arrest lacked any legal basis.
In their initiative, Boldrini and Vaccari called on the Italian government to take the necessary diplomatic measures to force the Moroccan authorities to respect the decisions of United Nations bodies, guarantee the physical safety and basic rights of Naama Asfari and all Sahrawi political detainees, and work for their immediate and unconditional release.
They also urged the Italian government to strengthen its action within European and international forums in order to establish respect for international law, protect human rights in Western Sahara, and ensure the full implementation of the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant Security Council resolutions.
For her part, the representative of the Polisario Front in Italy, Fatima Al-Mahfouz, expressed her satisfaction with this initiative, describing it as “important political and institutional support” for the just cause of the Sahrawi people, expressing her thanks to representatives Laura Boldrini and Stefano Vaccari for their firm commitment to defending human rights and international law. (SPA)
