Now that the campaign is entering its last month, it is time to make an initial assessment of the results so far.

The first notable fact, to our mind, is that for the first time, an action for human rights in Western Sahara has taken place simultaneously and in a coordinated manner in Europe and throughout the world, in the Saharawi refugee camps and in the occupied zones of the Sahara. All the Saharawi human rights organisations have become involved and we are very pleased to welcome particularly the creation on 9 September in El Ayoun of an Action Committee for the liberation of Sidi Mohamed Daddach and all Saharawi political detainees. We would also like to draw attention to the courage and determination of the Saharawi prisoners, beginning with Daddach himself, who are participating directly in the campaign from within their prisons, through hunger strikes, making statements etc. Without forgetting the involvement of families and the Saharawi population who have demonstrated in El Ayoun, Smara, Dakhla and in Southern Morocco. We are thus today more sure than ever of the justice of our action. It is a cause which corresponds to a wish of the Saharawis, who, sick of waiting for a referendum of self-determination which has been confiscated from them, are now demanding and immediately TRUTH AND JUSTICE.

At the European and international level, even if the results have not yet reached the height we might have expected, the first achievement of the campaign has been to make known the existence of these prisoners, and thereby the repressive system of occupied Western Sahara. And this is the moment to recall that since 1975 there also exist hundreds of other Saharawi detainees and disappeared. We thank everybody who has already signed the Appeal and welcome all the initiatives that have been taken in various countries to distribute the petition and collect signatures (in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain...). Online collection through the internet must be re-launched quickly to widen the circle of signatories and everyone can contribute by circulating the petition. Work on the ARSO site to promote the campaign should also be applauded.

There is now just one month to collect still thousands of signatures. Several aims still to be achieved are: first of all the enlarge the circle of signatories to include well-known names from politics, trades unions and the arts as well as many organisations as possible (human rights, political bodies etc). Take advantage of any opportunity to collect large numbers of signatures. The text of the petition is available in French, English, Spanish, German and Italian.

SIGN THE APPEAL

Download petition forms for the collection of signatures: formate Word - formate PDF

The petitions will be given to the Moroccan authorities at the beginning of December.

Some news:

Hunger Strikes:

• 24 October ; Khaya Cheikh and Massoud laarbi, Marrakech Prison
• 25-26 October, the 9 Saharawi students imprisoned in Marrakech prison
• A strike of 11 Saharawi detainees in El Ayoun prison is announced for 30 October and Mohamed Daddach continues his 48 hour hunger strikes each week.
• Meanwhile, the director of Kenitra prison asked Daddach to stop his action, drawing attention to the fact that the Consultative Council of Human Rights is studying the possibility of asking the king for an amnesty. A request which Mohamed Daddach firmly rejected.

List of prisoners published :

Some corrections and additions have been made to the list of Saharawi political prisoners published at the beginning of June.

• list of the 9 students of Marrakech : correction of the spelling of certain names to make them correspond to their identity papers. There was also a mistake about one name, Bekri Abdesslam who is a Moroccan student. The name of the Saharawi student being Elballali Salem. Their photos have also been added.
• Dah Cheikh and Moussami Laârbi, held in El Ayoun prison should be liberated this week, having served their 2-year sentence.

This list is available: HTML or Word formate.

« My greetings to everybody,

From 23 August to 30 September 2001, I observed a series of 24-hour hunger strikes once a week. Since 1 October, I decided to observe another series of 48-hour hunger strikes once a week. God willing, I will continue in this way, possibly increasing the number of days on hunger strike, and I will stop my action only when my demands are satisfied. These are:

• My liberation;
• The liberation of all Saharawi political detainees, for example: KHAYA CHEIKH, MASSOUD LAARBI, LAGHZAL ENNAJEM and BAHAHA SALEK and all their comrades imprisoned in Marrakech as well as all the detainees from the El Ayoun uprising in September 1999, without exception
• The establishment of the truth on the fate of Saharawi disappeared.

I warmly congratulate the Truth and Justice Forum (Sahara Section) for its actions carried out on 23 and 24 August 2001 in El Ayoun in solidarity with me and all Saharawi political detainees.

I also welcome and support the Action Committee created in El Ayoun on 9 September and which has as its mission to demand my liberation as well as that of all Saharawi political detainees, and in addition, establishing the truth on the fate of disappeared Saharawis. I call all Saharawis to promote and support this Action Committee.

As well, I welcome and support the organisation by Saharawi students in El Ayoun of Days of Remembrance of the 2nd Anniversary of the uprising of September 1999, days which were marked by cultural and political activities concerning the situation of Western Sahara and around demands for liberating Saharawi political detainees, establishing the truth on the fate of disappeared Saharawis and resisting prosecution by the police to which Saharawis are subjected.

Finally, I address the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan and his Special Envoy for Western Sahara, Mr James Baker and beg them to do everything to put the UN peace plan into effect immediately and unequivocally by organising the referendum of self-determination which is the just and lasting solution to this conflict."

Mohamed Daddach, detainee in the Central Prison of Kenitra.
Message sent on 12 October 2001.

Whereas the international campaign continues all around the world and whereas the demonstrations of the Saharawi population extend (from Assa - the South of Morocco, to Smara), we've just received two important news:

On Monday, October 8th, 2001, the Saharawi political prisoner El Bachir Tounsi, imprisoned in the El Ayoun's civil prison, was a victim of an intimidation by the director of this prison.

During a strip-search of cells supervised by the director, Tounsi was surprised in ownership of a transistor which was seized from him. The director offended him and threatened to hide cannabis in his possessions so he can sue him afterward for smuggling drugs into the penitentiary.

These threats were uttered by the director in reprisals to Tounsi's membership in a hunger strike observed by several Saharawi political prisoners since the beginning of the International Campaign for Mohamed Daddach's liberation and all Saharawi political prisoners.

We ought to denounce these practices and remain attentive as to what new measures could be taken by the Moroccan authorities against the Saharawi prisoners.

MOHAMED DADDACH received on Tuesday, October 9th in Kénitra's central prison, the visit of an emissary of the Consultative Council of Human Rights ( CCDH). During this meeting, the emissary informed him that the CCDH is studying his case and intends to formulate a demand to king Mohamed V for his liberation.

The mobilization continues for Mohamed Daddach's liberation and all Saharawi political prisoners.
Please, sign the appeal, Sign the appeal for the liberation of Mohamed Daddach and all the Saharawi political prisoners before December first 2001 .
You can also download and print out petition forms for the collection of signatures.

The list of the political prisoners has been updated.

Information N°4 ( N°3 only french)

After a month-long campaign, several thousand signatures have already been collected from the Internet and several European countries (France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain), supporting an international campaign for the liberation of Mohamed Daddach and all Saharawi political prisoners. Among the signatures were those from numerous national, regional and municipal elected members, leaders of NGOs, and Saharawi citizens in the occupied territories.

A collection of signatures by AFAPREDESA will begin in the Saharawi refugee camps.

The European Conference of sister cities with Western Sahara, which was held in Pisa (Italy) from 28th through30th September, also adopted a resolution of support to the campaign.

In the occupied territories of Western Sahara, the Moroccan authorities have refused thus far to legalize the "Committee for the liberation of M. Daddach and all Saharawi prisoners." Last week marked the second anniversary of the uprising, and numerous activities were organized in El Ayoun. Saturday, the 29th of September, was declared "political day of the Saharawi prisoner," and on this occasion, all Saharawi political prisoners observed a 24-hour hunger strike. On October 1st-2nd, Mohamed Daddach began a new series of 48 hours per week hunger strikes.

The mobilization must continue. Please, circulate this appeal on the Internet, have celebrities and others from your country or region sign it. Also distribute it during demonstrations etc…

To pursue the campaign, we also need financing. All contributions are welcomed (checks, money orders, see below).

Finally, you can send messages of support to Saharawi prisoners directly by mail at this address: comitedaddach@hotmail.com.

You can read Daddach's mother's appeal that was passed on to us by AFAPREDESA.

Sign the appeal for the liberation of Mohamed Daddach and all the Saharawi political prisoners before December first 2001

You can also download and print out petition forms for the collection of signatures.

BUREAU EUROPEEN POUR LE RESPECT DES
DROITS DE L'HOMME
AU SAHAHRA OCCIDENTAL
EUROPEAN BUREAU FOR THE RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN WESTERN SAHARA
PO Box 53 CH-1211 GENEVE 9 (SUISSE)

Tel. & fax : ++41.22.320.65.50 
Postal cheque account: CCP 12-12461-0
Bank account  :  Union de Banques Suisse 279-C3117839.0  1205 GENEVE

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