Occupied El Aaiún (Sahrawi Republic) 7 June 2026 (SPS)– The Sahrawi Organ Against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM) has called on the United Nations and the international community to take urgent action to protect Sahrawi political prisoner Naâma Asfari, who has entered the second month of an open-ended hunger strike in Moroccan detention.
In a press release issued on Saturday from Occupied El Aaiún, ISACOM held the Moroccan occupation authorities fully responsible for Asfari's physical and psychological well-being, accusing them of refusing to respond to his legitimate demands and of continuing policies of retaliation and collective punishment against Sahrawi civilians.
ISACOM stated that the continued hunger strike reflects the Moroccan occupation authorities' refusal to implement the decisions and recommendations issued by UN human rights mechanisms concerning Asfari's case.
The organization urged the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, and other international actors to intervene without delay to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights obligations, warning that the prisoner's deteriorating condition requires immediate international action.
In its statement, ISACOM strongly condemned what it described as Morocco's continued policy of collective punishment and individual retaliation against Sahrawi political prisoners, stressing that such practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international legitimacy.
The organization recalled that Naâma Asfari, Vice-President of CORELSO and an Honorary Citizen of the French city of Ivry-sur-Seine, has remained arbitrarily imprisoned since 2010 following what it described as the unlawful military trial of a civilian, in violation of his fundamental rights.
ISACOM further noted that UN human rights mechanisms have already ruled on Asfari's case. It recalled that the UN Committee Against Torture concluded that he had been subjected to torture, while the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined that his detention is arbitrary and called for his immediate release. The organization's statement said Morocco's continued refusal to implement these findings represents a serious breach of the international human rights system.
Addressing the United Nations, ISACOM reminded the Security Council and the Secretary-General of their legal and moral responsibilities toward Sahrawi civilians living under occupation.
It called for the implementation of recommendations issued by UN human rights bodies and for intensified efforts to end the suffering of Sahrawi political prisoners, considering this an essential step toward achieving peace and a just solution to the conflict in Western Sahara.
The organization also criticized the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), accusing it of failing to fulfil its humanitarian mandate toward Sahrawi civilian prisoners.
It urged the ICRC to undertake immediate visits to detainees, assess their health conditions, and ensure respect for their fundamental humanitarian rights, stressing that Sahrawi civilian prisoners should not remain without effective international humanitarian monitoring.
ISACOM, meanwhile, praised the position adopted by Front Line Defenders, describing it as one of the first international organizations to highlight the plight of Naâma Asfari.
It appealed to international human rights organizations and civil society groups to intensify solidarity campaigns and increase pressure on the Moroccan occupation authorities to respond to Asfari's humanitarian and legal demands.
Concluding its statement, ISACOM reaffirmed that the steadfastness of Sahrawi political prisoners, led by Naâma Asfari, symbolizes the universal values of justice, freedom, and human dignity.
It warned that the policy of starvation and deliberate indifference pursued by the Moroccan occupation authorities amounts to a slow death sentence, calling for immediate international intervention before it is too late. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
Related blogs
