MEETING OF FAMILIES OF DISAPPEARED SAHRAWIS GENEVA / SWITZERLAND, March the 28, 29 and 30.

C	URGENT PRESS RELEASE
	Delegation of Families of Disappeared Saharawis and Humans Rights Defenders stopped from leaving Morocco The International Office for the Respect of the Human Rights in Western Sahara (BIRDHSO), has been informed that the delegation of families of disappeared Saharawis and human rights defenders coming from the territories of Western Sahara under Moroccan control, was prevented by the Moroccan authorities from taking the plane for Geneva (at 14h20 Swiss time) to participate in a MEETING OF FAMILIES OF DISAPPEARED SAHRAWIS on March the 28,29 and 30 (see program) . All were in possession of a valid passport and visas for Switzerland. These passports, as well as the plane tickets, videos with testimonies and other personal papers were confiscated. The BIRDHSO is indignant at this arbitrary measure of the Moroccan authorities, aiming to perpetuate the silence on the problem of disappeared Saharawis by preventing families to testify abroad, and hindering human rights defenders to take part in the UN Human Rights Commission, for which they had accreditations. Whereas the UN Secretary-general in his last report invited the parties to the conflict to try to settle the painful problem of disappearence, Morocco once more shows its opposition to any solution of this subject. The BIRDHSO demands from the Moroccan authorities the immediate restitution of the passports, plane tickets and other confiscated documents, so that the Saharawi delegation can travel to Geneva by the next flight, and take part to our meeting beside the representatives of the families of disappeared Sahrawis coming from the refugees camps. The attitude of Morocco is a clear violation of the right to freedom of movement of people  and we call the human rights organizations, the democratic organizations and everyone loving freedom to protest to the Moroccan authorities, embassies and representations, so that the Sahrawi delegation can join Geneva freely. Geneva, 27.03.2003 The delegation is composed of: humans rights defenders DADACH MOHAMED KHAYA CHEIKH LAKHFAOUNI BACHER NOUMRI BRAHIM:  GUARHI BRAHIM BRAHIM DAHANE families of disappeared: SIDI MOHAMED SALEM ZAIDAN, "son of the disappeared HADIA MOHAMEDM' BAREK ZAIDAN" MOHAMMED MAHMOUD MOUMEN, "son of the disappeared AHMED BABAIH" HAMMIA AHMED: "son of the disappeared HAMDI OULD MOUSSA" OULAD CHEIKH MAHJOUB, "son of a disappeared" TAGLABOUTE MAIMOUNA, "wife of the disappeared BEIH OUBARKA" ELQOTB HAMMA, "brother of the disappeared ELQOTB ELHAFED" KIRRAOIAN MBARKA ALINA, "mother of the disappeared KIRRAOIAN SAID"
C	Bureau International pour le Respect des Droits de l'homme au Sahara Occidental International Bureau for the Respect of Human Rights in Western Sahara Case Postale 53 1211 GENEVE 9 (SUISSE) Tél. et fax : ++41.22.320.65.50 E-mail : birdhso@birdhso.org Web:  http://www.birdhso.org Compte de Chèque Postal: CCP 12-12461-0 - Compte bancaire : Union de Banques Suisse 279-C3117839.0 1205 GENEVE