Oslo (Norway), 23 December 2025 (SPS) – The Norwegian Rafto Foundation for Human Rights highlighted the repression and serious violations faced by human rights activists in the occupied part of Western Sahara, calling for urgent international action to guarantee the rights of the Sahrawi people and human rights defenders.
The Foundation stated that the recent attack against Sahrawi human rights activist Sidi Mohamed Daddach, along with other activists, in the occupied city of El Aaiun by Moroccan occupation forces confirms “the urgent need for immediate international action, at both governmental and human rights organization levels, to ensure human rights in Western Sahara and to protect human rights defenders from ongoing repression.”
In a statement, the Foundation documented the repression suffered by this activist—who was awarded the Torolf Rafto Human Rights Prize in 2002—while attempting, together with other activists, to take part in peaceful celebrations.
It added that this attack reflects the harsh situation faced by human rights defenders in the occupied Sahrawi territories, stressing that the violent assault is not “an isolated incident, but part of a continuing pattern of repression against Sahrawi human rights activists.”
The Foundation pointed out that through this ongoing repression, the Moroccan regime seeks to prevent any form of peaceful expression related to human rights issues.
The organization praised the struggle of Sahrawi human rights activists, including Sidimohamed Daddach, whom it described as a model of resilience and steadfast struggle in the face of injustice, and as a symbol of the fight for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, despite having been subjected to more than 20 years of imprisonment by the occupation.
Related blogs
