{"id":6043,"date":"2025-07-16T20:26:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/?p=6043"},"modified":"2025-07-16T20:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:26:28","slug":"adala-uk-denounces-moroccos-denial-of-education-to-saharawi-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/?p=6043","title":{"rendered":"Adala UK Denounces Morocco\u2019s Denial of Education to Saharawi Political Prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Adala UK condemns systematic violations of Saharawi students\u2019 rights under occupation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK strongly condemns the ongoing and systematic violations of the rights of Saharawi civilian prisoners, particularly students, by the Moroccan authorities. We draw urgent attention to the case of\u00a0Ayman Al-Thurbi<\/strong>, a young Saharawi law student and political prisoner, who has entered a\u00a048 hour hunger strike<\/strong>\u00a0in protest against the\u00a0denial of his right to education<\/strong>\u00a0while detained in a Moroccan prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite being a student lawfully enrolled at\u00a0Ibn Zohr University in Agadir<\/strong>, Ayman is being deliberately denied access to the prison library and study materials an act we consider a\u00a0flagrant violation of international human rights and humanitarian law<\/strong>. This protest is not only a personal stand but a reflection of the broader repression faced by\u00a0Saharawi students<\/strong>\u00a0under Moroccan occupation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAyman Al-Thurbi is being punished not for any crime, but for being a student and a Saharawi,\u201d said Sidi Ahmed Alyadasi chair of Adala UK.<\/strong>
\u201cThis denial of education is part of a broader strategy to break the minds and hopes of a new generation of Saharawis. As an organisation, we will not stay silent while students are targeted, imprisoned, and dehumanised simply for defending their identity and their people\u2019s right to self-determination.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Denial of Education: A Violation of International Law<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK affirms that the right to education<\/strong> is protected under Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)<\/strong> and must be guaranteed to all individuals, including those deprived of their liberty. Furthermore, Rules 104 and 105 of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules)<\/strong> obligate prison authorities to facilitate access to education and intellectual development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Moroccan authorities\u2019 continued denial of Ayman\u2019s academic rights specifically his access to books, legal texts, and study time is a\u00a0clear act of discrimination<\/strong>\u00a0and part of a systematic policy aimed at silencing and punishing Saharawi political expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arbitrary Detention for Peaceful Student Activism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ayman Al-Thurbi was arrested on 29 January 2024<\/strong> in the city of Agadir and later sentenced to ten years\u2019 imprisonment<\/strong>, solely for his peaceful and legitimate political engagement. A committed student activist, Ayman was an active member of the Saharawi Student Committee<\/strong> and the Student Union Coordination<\/strong>, where he advocated for the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination through peaceful means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His detention constitutes a violation of freedom of expression<\/strong> and freedom of association<\/strong>, as guaranteed by Articles 19 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)<\/strong>. His treatment further violates Article 10<\/strong>of the same covenant, which requires the humane treatment of all persons deprived of liberty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not an Isolated Case<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK stresses that this is not an isolated case<\/strong>. Ayman\u2019s situation is emblematic of a wider campaign of repression by the Moroccan authorities, targeting Saharawi university students and activists<\/strong>. The denial of education, degrading conditions of detention, and political trials based on fabricated charges have become routine tools used to suppress Saharawi youth who engage in nonviolent political expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such violations reflect a broader strategy to break the spirit of young Saharawis<\/strong> and to undermine their access to education as a tool of empowerment and resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Position and Demands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK holds the Moroccan authorities\u00a0fully responsible<\/strong>\u00a0for the physical and psychological well being of Ayman Al-Thurbi, and we demand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n