London, 8 July 2025 – Adala UK strongly condemns the expulsion of two Spanish journalists and a human rights defender from Western Sahara by Moroccan authorities. This arbitrary act, which took place on 8 July near El Aaiún, the capital of the occupied territory, represents a flagrant violation of international law and an alarming escalation in Morocco’s longstanding policy of suppressing independent human rights monitoring and press freedom in the region.

The expelled individuals Leonor Suárez, a journalist from Asturias, Óscar Allende, director of the Spanish digital outlet El Faradio, and Raúl Conde, a member of the solidarity group Cantabria por el Sáhara were in Western Sahara in coordination with Equipe Media, a respected Sahrawi media collective, to gather information and bear witness to ongoing human rights conditions in the territory.

Testimony of Raúl Conde: “They clearly knew we were coming”

In a direct interview with Adala UK, Raúl Conde shared the following details:

“It happened at the entrance to El Aaiún, about five kilometres outside the city, around mid-morning. While the checkpoint appeared normal, it was obvious they were waiting for us. The individuals who stopped us were not uniformed police but dressed in civilian clothes.

They never identified themselves. They simply ordered us to stop, asked for the vehicle documents, driver’s licence, and passports. Two wore suits and ties, the third was casually dressed.

The casually dressed man informed me that I was not allowed to enter the city. One of the suited men, without even checking the passports, told me to turn the car around and drive to Agadir.

When we asked for an explanation, he refused to answer—he simply repeated the order, very emphatically, that we must leave.

There was no written order. No belongings were confiscated. The treatment was formal, but clearly intended to block access.

I believe Morocco is sending a message: Western Sahara is not open to observation while the occupation continues. Without access for journalists and human rights defenders, it is impossible to verify the situation of the Sahrawi population.”

A Systematic Policy of Repression and Obstruction

The group was escorted under surveillance by four vehicles belonging to Moroccan intelligence services until they reached the city of Agadir, deep inside Moroccan territory. No legal justification or formal expulsion order was issued during the incident.

With this latest expulsion, the total number of international observers, researchers, and human rights defenders expelled from Western Sahara by Moroccan authorities has now reached over 330 cases in recent years.

Adala UK confirms — that their detention and expulsion constitute not only a violation of their right to freedom of movement and expression, but also a broader attack on the right of the Sahrawi people to receive and impart information — a fundamental right enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Morocco is a State Party.

Moroccan media later alleged that the group had violated national laws and attempted to engage in political activities “hostile to Morocco’s territorial integrity” a familiar and politically motivated accusation used to silence foreign observers sympathetic to the Sahrawi cause. Such claims, however, hold no legal merit under international law.

Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territory under the supervision of the United Nations, and Morocco’s presence there has no international legal recognition. As ruled by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1975, Morocco has no sovereignty over the territory, which remains subject to the UN process for decolonisation and self-determination.

Adala UK: Morocco is obstructing lawful human rights work

Sidi Ahmed Lyadasi, President of Adala UK, issued the following statement:

“This expulsion highlights Morocco’s ongoing attempts to prevent independent scrutiny of the human rights situation in Western Sahara. It is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a direct assault on the right to defend human rights peacefully.

As an occupying power, Morocco has clear obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect fundamental rights in the territory it controls. This includes ensuring the free access and operation of journalists, researchers, and human rights defenders.

By denying entry and threatening international observers, Morocco is actively obstructing efforts to expose and document the realities faced by Sahrawi civilians, political prisoners, and civil society actors.”

Urgent Call for International Response

Adala UK urgently calls upon the United Kingdom, European Union, and the United Nations to:

• Condemn the illegal expulsion of international observers from Western Sahara.
• Demand unimpeded access to the territory for journalists, NGOs, and human rights monitors.
• Support the establishment of an independent human rights monitoring mechanism under the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)—the only UN peacekeeping mission without a human rights mandate.

Until the Sahrawi people are allowed to freely and fairly exercise their right to self-determination, the international community has a duty not to remain silent in the face of repression, censorship, and unlawful occupation.

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