Geneva (UN Human Rights Council) 17 June 2026 (SPS) – The Geneva Support Group for Western Sahara expressed "profound concern" over the ongoing denial of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and the deteriorating human rights situation in the Territory.
The position was delivered Tuesday, June 16, by Ambassador Geraldo Goncalves Miguel Saranga, Permanent Representative of Mozambique to Switzerland and the UN in Geneva, during the Plenary Session of the 62nd Ordinary Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Speaking on behalf of the Support Group, Ambassador Saranga pointed to a critical deficit in international oversight in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. He noted that, as previously cited by the UN Secretary-General in report S/2025/612, the "absence of independent human rights monitoring since 2015 remains a critical gap, preventing an accurate assessment of ground developments."
The statement drew heavily on recent findings from UN treaty bodies regarding the treatment of Sahrawi detainees, specifically focusing on the prisoners of the Gdeim Izik group.
Ambassador Saranga highlighted that the Committee against Torture has adopted decisions in nine cases concerning these prisoners, including Naama Asfari and Hassan Dah. These rulings consistently identify violations of the Convention against Torture, explicitly citing arbitrary arrests, solitary confinement, and the use of confessions obtained under duress in judicial proceedings.
The Ambassador referenced a May 20, 2026 statement by the Committee, which exposed a "structural problem" in Morocco's handling of these cases, noting that effective investigations remain absent.
The Committee stressed that ignoring repeated torture allegations puts the absolute prohibition of torture at risk, demanding urgent corrective measures, victim remedies, and the prevention of recurrence.
According to the diplomat, these conclusions align precisely with Opinion No. 23/2023 by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which deemed the detentions arbitrary and called for immediate release and reparations.
"The convergence of these mechanisms warrants the Council's close attention," Ambassador Saranga stated, calling for the full implementation of these international decisions.
Concluding the address, the Support Group demanded independent investigations into torture, accountability for violations, and the immediate release of those arbitrarily detained.
Ambassador Saranga reiterated the urgent necessity for a sustained, impartial monitoring system to protect all people in Western Sahara, emphasizing that respect for international law and the right to self-determination remain essential for a just, lasting peace. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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