Brussels (Belgium), June 1, 2026 (SPS) – The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights has condemned the serious violations suffered by Sahrawi human rights defenders at the hands of the Moroccan occupation authorities in occupied Western Sahara.
The condemnation came in a statement issued by the Association in solidarity with the President of the Sahrawi Collective of Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA), Ali Salem Tamek, and other Sahrawi human rights activists in the occupied part of Western Sahara, who have been subjected to serious abuses by the Moroccan occupation authorities.
The Association expressed its concern over the increasing use of isolation measures and restrictions on freedom of movement aimed at preventing acts of solidarity, obstructing the monitoring of the human rights situation, and punishing defenders who advocate for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
It also voiced its deep concern regarding reports indicating that, since the night of May 19, the occupation authorities have imposed a de facto siege on the home of Sahrawi human rights defender Hussein Mjahid in the occupied city of El Aaiún, where Ali Salem Tamek and his family are staying.
The Association referred to reports confirming that the occupation authorities surrounded Hussein Mjahid’s residence, prevented human rights defenders and their relatives from entering, and cut off the electricity supply to the house.
In this regard, it stressed that members of CODESA continue to face restrictions on their right to peaceful assembly, in addition to harassment. It cited the case of CODESA Vice-President Khadijetou El Dweihi, who is reportedly subjected to constant surveillance and intimidation in the vicinity of her home.
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