Rome (Italy), July 2, 2026 (SPS) – Italian Members of Parliament Laura Boldrini and Stefano Vaccari have submitted a parliamentary question to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, calling for "an urgent intervention by the Italian Government to demand the release of Sahrawi political prisoner Naâma Asfari and all his fellow prisoners detained by the Moroccan occupying State."
The parliamentary initiative recalls that "Western Sahara remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory awaiting decolonization, whose people possess the inalienable right to self-determination and independence, a right recognized by the United Nations."
In this context, the Italian lawmakers stressed the responsibility of the international community to ensure respect for international law and the United Nations resolutions relating to the conflict.
The parliamentary question also refers to the events that took place at the Gdeim Izik protest camp in 2010, whose violent dismantling by the Moroccan occupation forces led to the arrest and conviction of dozens of Sahrawi activists, including Naâma Asfari, regarded as one of the most prominent Sahrawi human rights defenders.
The MPs further noted that Asfari has been on a hunger strike since June 8, 2026, in protest against his detention conditions and Morocco's refusal to comply with the decisions of United Nations human rights mechanisms.
They also recalled that the United Nations Committee against Torture concluded that the Sahrawi activist had been subjected to torture, while the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined that his detention lacked any legal basis.
Through their parliamentary initiative, Boldrini and Vaccari urged the Italian Government to take the necessary diplomatic measures to ensure that the Moroccan authorities comply with the decisions of United Nations bodies, guarantee the physical integrity and fundamental rights of Naâma Asfari and all Sahrawi political prisoners, and proceed with their immediate and unconditional release.
They also called on the Italian Government to strengthen its efforts within European and international forums to promote respect for international law, protect human rights in Western Sahara, and ensure the full implementation of the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
For her part, Fatima Mahfud, the POLISARIO Front Representative in Italy, welcomed the initiative, describing it as "an important political and institutional expression of support" for the just cause of the Sahrawi people. She thanked MPs Laura Boldrini and Stefano Vaccari for their steadfast commitment to the defense of human rights and international law.
