Adala UK has written to the Foreign Secretary urging His Majesty’s Government to take urgent diplomatic action in response to the rapidly deteriorating health of Sahrawi human rights defender Naâma Asfari and the continued arbitrary detention of the Gdeim Izik prisoners.

In its letter, the organisation raises serious concerns about Mr Asfari’s condition after more than a month on an open-ended hunger strike, which he began on 8 June 2026 in protest against his imprisonment and prison conditions. According to information received by Adala UK, his health has now reached a critical stage, yet he continues to be denied the specialist medical care he urgently needs.

Mr Asfari has been imprisoned for over fifteen years following proceedings that have been repeatedly criticised by United Nations human rights bodies over allegations of torture, the use of confessions obtained under duress, and serious violations of fair trial standards. The letter also highlights reports that his wife, the French human rights defender Claude Mangin, has been prevented from visiting him for the past eight years.

Adala UK notes that Mr Asfari’s case reflects the wider situation faced by the Gdeim Izik prisoners, many of whom continue to report arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, prolonged solitary confinement and severe restrictions on contact with their families. Several prisoners have also undertaken hunger strikes in solidarity with Mr Asfari.

The letter recalls that, in Opinion No. 23/2023, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the detention of the Gdeim Izik prisoners is arbitrary and called for their immediate release. It also refers to the longstanding concerns expressed by the United Nations Committee against Torture regarding allegations of torture and the reliance on confessions allegedly obtained under coercion.

Adala UK has called on the UK Government to engage directly with the Moroccan authorities and press for the immediate and unconditional release of Naâma Asfari, the Gdeim Izik prisoners and all arbitrarily detained Sahrawi political prisoners. The organisation has also urged the Government to support the implementation of the recommendations made by United Nations human rights mechanisms, ensure Mr Asfari is granted immediate access to independent specialist medical care, press for unrestricted family and International Committee of the Red Cross visits, and support unrestricted access for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as a country visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a longstanding advocate for the rule of law and the protection of human rights, the United Kingdom is well placed to encourage compliance with international human rights obligations. Adala UK has urged the Government to use its dialogue with Morocco to help prevent irreversible harm to Mr Asfari’s life and health and to support the implementation of recommendations issued by United Nations human rights mechanisms.

Given the urgency of the situation, Adala UK hopes the Government will give this matter prompt consideration and take meaningful steps to address the serious human rights concerns raised in its letter.

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