Paris, July 12, 2026 (SPS) – French Member of Parliament Jean-Paul Lecoq has called on French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to raise the issue of Sahrawi political prisoners with the Moroccan authorities during his official visit to Morocco, scheduled for July 15–16.
In a letter dated July 10, the MP representing Seine-Maritime noted that what he described as the French Prime Minister's first official visit abroad provides an opportunity to promote respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and international law.
He stressed that Morocco is holding political prisoners, including Sahrawi activists who support the right to self-determination. He specifically referred to the detainees of the Gdeim Izik group, recalling that several of them have been the subject of decisions by the United Nations Committee against Torture concerning confessions allegedly obtained under torture.
The MP drew attention to the situation of Naâma Asfari, a member of the Gdeim Izik group, who has been on a hunger strike since June 8 in an effort to secure the implementation of Opinion No. 23/2023 issued by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The opinion calls for the release of the Sahrawi prisoners of the Gdeim Izik group, who have been detained since 2010, and recommends that, pending their release, they be transferred to El Aaiún prison to bring them closer to their families and facilitate family visits.
In his letter, Jean-Paul Lecoq urged the French Prime Minister to advocate, during his visit to Morocco, for the implementation of the recommendations issued by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
He reiterated his opposition to France's recognition of Morocco's claimed "sovereignty" over Western Sahara, announced in 2024, affirming that such a position is incompatible with international law.
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