London, 3 June 2025 – Adala UK strongly condemns the Moroccan authorities’ expulsion of an international delegation comprising 14 French and Spanish activists. The group, part of the “March for the Freedom of Sahrawi Political Prisoners,” was denied entry into Moroccan territory on 31 May 2025 at the port of Tangier.

According to an official statement from the march organisers, the delegation was subjected to degrading and violent treatment. One participant’s phone was forcibly confiscated, and a video containing only images of the ferry was deleted by Moroccan officials. Among those targeted was Claude Mangin, the wife of long-term Sahrawi political prisoner Naâma Asfari, currently incarcerated in Kenitra prison.

The march, which began in the Paris region two months earlier, aimed to shed light on the continued detention of Sahrawi political prisoners and to demand their unconditional release. A key objective was to allow Mangin, who has long been denied visitation rights, to visit her husband in prison — a right repeatedly violated by Moroccan authorities.

A Peaceful Initiative for Justice
The march represents a broad coalition of European civil society actors, including human rights advocates. Their demands are clear:

Raise awareness of the cruel and inhumane treatment of Sahrawi prisoners.
Denounce the arbitrary and unlawful nature of their detentions, as noted by international bodies including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and various UN mechanisms.
Demand their immediate release and the recognition of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination under international law.
The final leg of the march was symbolically planned to end at Kenitra prison — a peaceful act of resistance and solidarity with those unjustly imprisoned.

Moroccan Intimidation and Repression
The Moroccan authorities’ refusal to allow the delegation entry was expected by organisers, yet it starkly underlines the kingdom’s intolerance of any international scrutiny over its ongoing occupation of Western Sahara. Reports indicate:

No legal justification was provided for the expulsions.
Moroccan agents, operating in plain clothes, photographed activists and families aboard the ferry — before it had even docked in Moroccan waters.
The presence of Moroccan police forces aboard a Spanish ferry raises serious legal and sovereignty concerns, especially as no Spanish police were present to protect passengers from foreign surveillance.

Key Questions and Legal Concerns
The actions of Moroccan agents raise disturbing questions:

Under what authority are Moroccan officers photographing European citizens on a Spanish ferry?
What happens to these images, and how are they used?
Why are there foreign police stations onboard Spanish vessels?
What safeguards exist to protect EU citizens from such extraterritorial intimidation?
These questions demand urgent answers from Spanish and European authorities, and an immediate review of cross-border security cooperation protocols.

A Call to International Solidarity
Adala UK joins the march organisers in calling upon human rights organisations, parliamentarians, and civil society across Europe and beyond to:

Publicly denounce Morocco’s repressive practices.
Demand the immediate release of all Sahrawi political prisoners.
Support the Sahrawi people’s struggle for self-determination in line with international law and UN resolutions.

Recommendations to the Moroccan Occupation Authorities
Adala UK calls on the Moroccan authorities to:

Immediately and unconditionally release all Sahrawi political prisoners, whose detentions are in clear violation of international human rights law.
End the repression of peaceful activism and stop obstructing international human rights monitoring efforts in Western Sahara and Moroccan territory.
Respect the right to family visits for all prisoners, including Claude Mangin’s right to visit her husband, as protected by international standards.
Cease extraterritorial surveillance and intimidation of activists and foreign nationals, particularly on foreign soil or international transport.
Cooperate transparently with international mechanisms and allow access to independent observers, journalists, and humanitarian missions.

Recommendations to the International Community
Adala UK urges the international community — including the European Union, the United Nations, and national governments — to:

Publicly condemn Morocco’s actions in denying peaceful activists entry and targeting them with intimidation.
Ensure protection for EU and other international citizens from foreign surveillance and harassment in cross-border or maritime contexts.
Press Morocco to comply with its international obligations regarding the treatment of prisoners and respect for human rights defenders.
Support international legal and diplomatic efforts aimed at ensuring the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination as affirmed by numerous UN resolutions.
Impose accountability measures, including sanctions or suspension of cooperation agreements, in response to repeated human rights violations by Moroccan authorities.

Final Declaration

The March for the Freedom of Sahrawi Political Prisoners, far from being silenced, emerges from this ordeal with renewed determination. The expulsion of peaceful European activists once again exposes Morocco’s strategy of censorship, intimidation, and colonial control.

Adala UK reaffirms its unwavering commitment to justice, dignity, and international legality, and will continue to advocate for the rights of Sahrawi political prisoners and the Sahrawi people as a whole.

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