Adala UK

Moroccan authorities have detained Hamza Al Ansari, who is known as an activist who regularly participates in peaceful demonstrations, demanding self-determination for Western Sahara. He was detained for trying to join a group of Saharawis who wanted to celebrate the freedom of ex-prisoners of the ‘Gdeim Izik’ group in the Western Saharan capital last Friday, and transferred to the ‘black prison’ in El Aaiun. Continue reading →

The long sentences imposed on each of the political prisoners reflects the practice of the Moroccan authorities to continually ignore national and international legislation.

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Arbitrary detention and intimidation are daily risks for human rights defenders in occupied Western Sahara, as has been documented in many cases by Adala UK in the last few years. Despite living under constant fear of intimidation, threat and attack, human rights defenders continue working with determination and bravery every day. It is unfair that they should face these threats alone. The international community and the UN should be doing much more to protect and support them. Continue reading →

The UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a process all UN member states must take part in every four years as a review of their human rights record and an opportunity for other member states to make recommendations as to improvements the country under review can make. NGOs take part in the reporting process prior to the review to submit evidence regarding the human rights record of the country under review.  Continue reading →

A Moroccan police patrol arrested 17 year old Souayah Dahi on the Sharif Radi Avenue in the Zemla neighbourhood in the capital of Western Sahara due to his participation in a protest in solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners held in Moroccan prisons. Dahi has been punished for exercising his right to freedom of expression and assembly.

A group of plain clothes police officers dragged the young man down the street and then took him away in an armoured vehicle to an unknown location. This was whilst several other cars brutally intervened against a peaceful demonstration, a witness told Adala UK. Continue reading →