Sahrawi association condemns continued closure of its headquarters by Moroccan occupation authorities

Occupied Laayoune, August 15, 2024 (SPS) - The Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH) condemned on Wednesday, the continued closure of its headquarters in occupied city of Laayoune by Moroccan occupation authorities, and the prevention of the association's members and victims of human rights crimes from reaching its headquarters.

The association stressed in a statement,  that the closure of its headquarters and its prevention from work constitutes a serious violation of an inherent human right that is inalienable and indivisible.

The association expressed its deep dissatisfaction with the continued disregard of the UN Secretary-General, the UN mechanisms and the human rights institutions for this situation, as the absence of any reference to this ongoing ban and blockade in the document of the UN Secretary-General's report on the issue of Western Sahara, submitted on July 24, 2024 before the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, and a group of other crimes, including the systematic burning and destruction of the homes and properties of Sahrawis, their forced displacement from them and the confiscation of their lands.

The Sahrawi association expressed deep gratitude to the international organizations working in the field of human rights, which stood by the association in its ordeal for their support and honorable positions aiming at promoting and protecting human rights and freedoms of individuals and groups.

It also called on all national and international human rights and media institutions and bodies to condemn the systematic ban that the Sahrawi Association ASVDH is being subjected to, especially since silence serves only the Moroccan occupation, its apparatuses and repressive policies.

ASVDH demanded the United Nations and the UN Human Rights Commission to play more effective roles in order to lift the military, security and media siege imposed on the occupied part of Western Sahara and oblige the Moroccan occupying state to stop its ongoing crimes against the defenseless Sahrawi people, and to work on expanding the mandate of the MINURSO mission to include monitoring and reporting on human rights in Western Sahara.

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