Adala writes to the Moroccan Minister of Justice to demand an investigation into the case of Said Dambar who was killed by Moroccan police officers in El Aiun in 2010. 

 

Below you can read the letter that was sent:

His Excellency Mohamed Naciri

Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Place el Mamounia
Rabat
Morocco

Your Excellency,

We are writing to you with regards to the case of the 26 year old Saharawi

SAID DAMBAR

who was shot dead in Laayoune on 22 December 2010 by a Moroccan police officer. Said, an Economics graduate who worked for the Laayoune City Council, was on his way to watch a football match when he was stopped by two Moroccan police officers. According to eye witnesses, Said was shot when he could not produce the identification documents he was asked for, not having provoked the police officers himself.

Said’s body was subsequently kept in the morgue of Laayoune’s hospital whilst his family demanded an autopsy to be performed to officially establish the cause of his death. The Moroccan authorities never gave permission for an autopsy to be carried out and threatened Said’s family on numerous occasions in order to force them to sign an authorization for his funeral. Probably as a result of the wide attention this case received, the Moroccan authorities buried Said without his family’s consent on 4 June 2012. An autopsy had still not been carried out and Said’s family was not informed of the location of his grave.

Adala UK condemns this act of violence which, sadly, is only one example of the continued human rights violations the Saharawi population in the occupied territory of Western Sahara is subjected to. We urge you to instigate a fair and comprehensive investigation of the circumstances of Said Sambar’s death, and to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable. We also ask you to ensure the protection of Said’s family.

Yours sincerely,

On behalf of Adala UK

adalauk@hotmail.com

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