El Aaiún (Occupied Territories), April 3, 2026 (SPS) – Sahrawi human rights organizations have condemned the systematic violations committed by the Moroccan occupation against Sahrawi students in its prisons, calling on international human rights bodies to exert pressure for the release of all Sahrawi prisoners.
In this context, the Committee of Families of Sahrawi Political Prisoners issued a statement expressing deep concern over the deteriorating health conditions of Sahrawi students and political prisoners, Salah Eddine Essabar and Ibrahim Babit, who are held in the local prison Ait Melloul 1 in the city of Agadir, Morocco. The two prisoners began an open-ended hunger strike on March 31 in protest against the inhumane and degrading conditions they face inside the prison.
The committee also addressed the harsh detention conditions, which include deprivation of contact with the outside world, restrictions on their right to medical care, and their placement in overcrowded cells with common-law prisoners. This constitutes a blatant violation of the principle of separating political prisoners from other prisoners, as well as denying them their legitimate right to continue their studies.
For its part, the Sahrawi Collective of Human Rights Defenders (CODESA) in Western Sahara condemned in a statement the tragic conditions endured by Sahrawi political prisoners, including students who have been compelled to go on hunger strike in protest against these conditions.
CODESA called on the international community to urgently intervene to protect Sahrawi civilians and political prisoners, and to pressure the Moroccan occupation to secure their immediate release.
Similarly, the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights Committed by the Moroccan State (ASVDH) called for an investigation into the systematic deprivation suffered by Sahrawi prisoners of their most basic rights, foremost among them the right to healthcare and medical treatment, as well as the need to improve detention conditions and respect human dignity in accordance with international standards.
Related blogs
