Dakhla (Occupied Territories), 27 August 2025 (SPS) – The Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA) has condemned the continued crackdown by the Moroccan occupation on Sahrawi activists and their families. The organization renewed its demands to end the policies of retribution and siege and to guarantee respect for the fundamental human rights of the Sahrawi people, foremost of which is the right to self-determination.
In a statement, CODESA affirmed that the Moroccan occupation forces continue to target Sahrawi human rights activists and their families in retaliation for their anti-occupation stance and their demands for freedom and independence. The forces also persist in blocking international observers from the region to obscure these crimes and violations.
In this context, the organization cited the harassment and violations endured by its members, such as journalist Hassan Zarouali and the family of the late Sahrawi human rights activist Brahim Sabbar, who recently passed away.
The organization indicated that after "surrounding the cemetery where the funeral proceedings for the deceased took place on August 14th, preventing family and relatives from entering, the Moroccan occupation force imposed tight surveillance on the family's home, monitoring and tracking everyone who came to offer condolences." It also noted the arrest of several Sahrawi activists at its security checkpoint.
It is worth mentioning that the late Brahim Sabbar was among the victims of kidnapping and enforced disappearance in the occupied Western Sahara, having spent ten years among the disappeared. He later continued his journey as a prominent human rights activist, only to be arrested again in 2006. Nevertheless, he remained steadfast in his principles until his death.
The Sahrawi organization "strongly" condemned these retaliatory practices, holding the Moroccan occupation force fully responsible for these violations and considering them "further evidence of the ongoing policy of cracking down on Sahrawi defenders and their families."
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