On 17th September 2014, the Moroccan authorities banned a planned demonstration to demand the release of Saharawi political prisoners, a mechanism to monitor human rights violations in Western Sahara and the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

Members of the Moroccan forces, both in uniform and plain clothes, surrounded the area where the demonstration was supposed to take place on the city’s main road, in order to prevent people from joining the protest.

‘The Moroccan authorities are denying us our right to freedom of expression and to meet. Their uncompromising reaction towards our peaceful demonstrations recently has meant that taking part in protests has become extremely difficult and dangerous’ Ahmad Mahmud, a representative of Adala UK in Boujdour says. Boujdour is now under siege in order to prevent further protests.

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