Shaheed El Hafed, July 12, 2026 (SPS) – The Human Rights Coordination Mechanism has launched an international petition calling on the United Nations, human rights organizations, and world leaders to intervene urgently to save the life of Sahrawi political prisoner and human rights defender Naâma Asfari, whose health continues to deteriorate after more than a month on hunger strike in a Moroccan prison.
The petition, addressed to the international community—particularly UN human rights bodies and the Secretary-General of the United Nations—warns that the 56-year-old Sahrawi activist is "on the brink of death" after being on an open-ended hunger strike since June 8, 2026.
According to the petition, Asfari has been imprisoned for more than 15 years for peacefully advocating the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination. It states that his health is rapidly worsening in Kenitra Prison, where he is reportedly being held in isolation from his family and denied the urgent medical care he requires. The petition also notes that his wife, French activist Claude Mangin, has been prevented from visiting him for the past eight years.
The Human Rights Coordination Mechanism maintains that Asfari was sentenced to 30 years in prison following what it describes as a sham trial based on confessions obtained under torture. It further recalls that United Nations bodies have called for his immediate release, while expressing concern that Morocco continues to disregard those recommendations.
The petition calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Naâma Asfari and all Sahrawi political prisoners, as well as the implementation of Opinion No. 23/2023 issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. It also urges the provision of urgent medical care, immediate humanitarian access by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Asfari's family, an end to reprisals against prisoners' relatives, unrestricted ICRC access to all Sahrawi prisoners, an urgent visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, and unrestricted access for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sahrawi political prisoners.
The organization appealed to individuals and human rights advocates worldwide to sign and circulate the petition without delay. It is addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
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