The Collective of the Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders
Press Release
10 Years Imprisonment for Two Moroccan Policemen Responsible for
the Murder of "Hamdi Lembarki"
On June 20th, 2007, the Moroccan court in El Ayun, Western Sahara
sentenced two Moroccan police agents responsible for the torture and
murder of the Sahrawi citizen, Hamdi Lembarki at the
night of 30th
October, 2005 because of his participation in a peaceful protest
demonstration calling for the Sahrawi people's right to
self-determination and independence.
The trial of the Moroccan policemen, Hassan Rochdi and Abderrahim
Elmssaoued was characterized by complete police control in order to ban
the Sahrawi citizens from attending the trial sessions that lasted for
more than 15 hours, and so the verdict was not sentenced until 01:30 on
Thursday June 21, 2007.
The murder of Hamdi Lembarki represents a serious violation of the
right to life, physical safety and personal security as well as the
right to expression and gathering. The Moroccan policemen have misused
their authority against the demonstrators calling for the Sahrawis'
right to self-determination since May 21, 2005.
Therefore, the Sahrawi citizens have been handing out their complaints
to the Moroccan Court in El Ayun, Western Sahara in order to look into
their torture by Moroccan officials.
However, the CODESA notices a complete indifference of the Moroccan
authorities towards the complaints handed out by some Sahrawi human
rights defenders and many Sahrawi citizens, who were subjected to
torture and inhuman ill-treatment, especially women and minor children.
The CODESA also expresses its concern about this kind of trials. The
Moroccan Court of Appeal in Agadir, Morocco has already sentenced a
Moroccan "gendarmerie" agent responsible for the torture and murder of
the Sahrawi citizen, "Chwihi Slaiman" in 2005 in Guelmim, south of
Morocco to 10 years' imprisonment. This verdict was cancelled in 2006
and the Moroccan agent was declared innocent.
Thus, the CODESA insists on the Moroccan state's responsibility
for the crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Sahrawi
citizens, and calls for the investigation in the alleged torture cases
registered in the Moroccan courts.
The CODESA secretariat
The Collective of the Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders
El Ayun, Western Sahara .
June 21, 2007.
Résumé du
communiqué du CODESA par arso:
10 ans d'emprsonnement pour les 2 policiers responsables de la mort de
Hamdi Lembarki
Le 20 juin le ptribunal d'El Ayoun a condamné à 10 ans de
prison les 2 agents, Hassan Rochdi et Abderrahim Elmssaoued,
responsables de la mort de Hamdi Lembarki dans la nuit du 30
octobre
2005 dans le cadre d'une manifestation pacifique.
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