Shaheed El Hafed, May 4, 2026 (SPS) – The Ministry of Occupied Territories and Diaspora has called on the United Nations and its relevant mechanisms to open an independent investigation into the serious violations targeting Sahrawi human rights defenders in the occupied cities of Western Sahara.
In a statement, the ministry renewed its appeal to the United Nations and its specialized mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and special procedures, to launch an urgent and independent investigation into the systematic violations committed against Sahrawi political prisoners and human rights defenders. It stressed that these violations amount to cruel and inhuman treatment under international humanitarian law.
The statement held the Moroccan occupation authorities fully responsible for the policy of systematic retaliation against Sahrawi political prisoners and their families, and called for an end to all forms of harassment and persecution, including arbitrary arrests, surveillance, siege, and restrictions on freedom of movement, assembly, and expression.
It also called for increased pressure to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all Sahrawi political prisoners, the cessation of retaliatory judicial proceedings, and the guarantee of their fundamental rights in accordance with international human rights standards.
The Ministry of Occupied Territories and Diaspora further emphasized the need to ensure international protection for Sahrawi human rights defenders, enabling them to carry out their activities without threat, intimidation, or reprisals, and to establish permanent monitoring mechanisms for the human rights situation in the occupied Sahrawi territories.
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