Between 3pm and 6pm BST today, in Geneva, the Human Rights Council of
the United Nations will be discussing Morocco‚s record on human rights.
Part of this review will highlight human rights abuses in
Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. In the light of today‚s review, the
Western Sahara Campaign (WSC UK) calls for the release of the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report on
Human Rights in the occupied Western Sahara. . The report on the state
of human rights in the region, which was compiled in 2006, has never
been formally released.
In addition to the OHCHR report, Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch, two of the most respected human rights organisations,
consistently report that political repression and human rights abuses
are commonplace in the territory of Western Sahara.
They report that the Saharawi population in Western Sahara suffers from
infringements of their human rights. Their freedom of speech is
limited, their freedom of assembly minimal and civilians participating
in peaceful protests face incarceration, police abuse and even torture
on a regular basis.
WSC UK is extremely concerned at this deteriorating human rights
situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara and fears that,
if not addressed, it may have severe implications for peace and
stability in the Maghreb.
Moroccan oppression has reached a critical level with beatings,
torture, false imprisonment, rape, disappearances and unfair trials all
being reported regularly by Saharawi citizens. A hunger strike by 60
Saharawi political prisoners over conditions is currently in its second
month.
WSC UK calls on the UK Government, as a permanent member of the
Security Council, to request the formal publication of the report and
the immediate implementation of its recommendations.
