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SPS A Moroccan NGO denounces the heavy imprisonment sentences against the Saharawi political prisoners 02.02.06
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Rabat, 02/02/2006 (SPS) The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), denounced, on Monday, "the heavy condemnation to heavy imprisonment sentences against 14 Saharawi political prisoners, especially the increase of the sentences of two of them", after the start of the uprising of independence in El Aaiun, last May 2005, reported the Algerian Press Service, APS, on Wednesday.
"The Central Bureau of the AMDH reiterate, in a press release concluding its meeting, its call to the release of all the detainees of opinion and the Saharawi political prisoners", denouncing "the arbitrary arrest of the Saharawis" during peaceful demonstrations asking for the Saharawi people’s self-determination, the same source stressed.
The press release of the Central Bureau of the Moroccan NGO also denounces "all the human rights violations that they (the Saharawi activists) submitted since their arrest until their condemnation by an illegal justice".
The 14 Saharawi political prisoners, among whom the majority was arrested last May during the uprising of independence, which was started in the occupied territories and south of Morocco, were condemned last December the 13th to sentences going between 6 months to 3 years imprisonment, the same source indicated.
In January the 24th, the Moroccan colonial court in the occupied El Aaiun increased the sentence of Ali Salem Tamek from 8 to 10 months and from 6 months to 1 year imprisonment for Amidan El Ouali, during a trial, denounced by local and international human rights NGOs.
Amnesty International, which observed this trial, estimated that the Saharawi human rights activists were "condemned after a doubtful trial", the same source recalled. (SPS)
020/090700 021115 Feb 06 SPS
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SPS The international Price of Cooperation 2005 to a Basque activist for her support to the Saharawi people’s struggle
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Madrid, 02/02 2006 (SPS) The international Price of Cooperation 2005, which is awarded every year by the Government of the autonomous community (region) of the Basque Country, will be delivered on Thursday, to the Basque activist, Gurutze Irizar Intxausti, who dedicated 30 years of her life in the defence of the Saharawi people, reported Algerian Press Agency, APS.
In a press release of the Basque Government publicised last Wednesday, the Price will be delivered by the President of the region, Mr. Juan José Ibarretxe, to Mrs. Irizar Intxausti, during a ceremony organised in the seat of the Basque presidency in Vitoria (capital of the Basque Country).
The Basque Country recalled that Mrs. Irizar Intxausti, was asked to promote and constitute a unit of sanitary coordination for the Western Sahara, which was "the fundamental element", for these last years, of the establishments of medical care establish in the refugee camps to provide the refugees with the necessary aid.
She also actively contributed to the "Caravans of solidarity with the Sahara", which collect the aid from the Basque country’s civil society to the benefit of the Saharawi refugees, and also to the programme ''Vacations in peace'', thanks to which hundreds Saharawi children spend the summer within Basque families.
''Mrs. Irizar Intxausti was and is still one of the most representatives of the Euskadi (Basque Country) in the occupied territories and in the refugees camps, and one of the ambassadors o the Polisario Front to the world", the press release underlined.
The Basque Government also announced that a 43 trucks convoy, carrying humanitarian aids will departure this February the 11th heading towards the Saharawi refugees camps, the same source added. (SPS)
020/090/700 021015 Feb 06 SPS
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SPS Andalusia reaffirms its engagement to the Saharawi people’s cause
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Madrid, 02/02/2006 (SPS) The President of the Federation of the Associations of friendship with the Saharawi people in Andalusia, Paco Guerrero reaffirmed on Wednesday, the engagement of this southern region of Spain to the cause of the Saharawi people, expressing his satisfaction with the yearly increase of the amount of the aid collected in Andalusia to the profit of the Saharawi refugee camps, reported the Algerian Press Agency, APS.
In a statement to APS, Mr. Paco Guerrero, indicated that more than 1.000 tons of food, sanitary and school equipments were collected in Andalusia in favour of the Saharawi refugee camps.
The aid is composed of non perishable products, specially sugar, flour, rice and oil, he said, adding that this aid was collected during the last months thanks to the network of associations of solidarity in all the municipalities and provinces of the region. I twill be sent to the camps starting from this February the 11 and 12 in some 50 vehicles.
M. Paco recalled that an opinion poll undertaken by the Institut Royal Elcano underlined that 75 % of the citizens of this region support the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.
This engagement is also illustrated, he declared, in the reception of th Saharawi children who spend their vacations within the Andalusan families, stressing that Andalusia receives some 3.000 child from a total of 9.000.
He further recalled that the Andalusan Parliament approved, last October 2005, a motion in which it supports the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and demands from Morocco to respect the human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
On another hand, a medical group from the hospital of the Andalusan province of Jaen, composed of 6 surgeons and doctors will sojourn starting from February the 11 in the Saharawi refugee camps. This mission is organised by the association, Sahara libre. (SPS)
020/090/700/TRD 021200 Fev 06 SPS
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SPS The Saharawi political prisoners continue their hunger strike
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El Aaiun (occupied territories), 02/02/2006 (SPS) The Saharawi political prisoners continue their hunger strike, which was started since January the 31st, to protest against the inhumane treatment to which they are submitted from the Moroccan penitentiary administration and its agents, indicated concordant sources on Wednesday.
Saharawi demonstrators raised the flags of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic on Wednesday night, in the main streets of the occupied city of El Aaiun, chanting slogans that call to the immediate release of all the Saharawi political detainees.
The Moroccan forces of occupation, led by the torturer, Ichi Abou Al Hacen, quickly intervened to disperse the demonstrators, arresting 4 young Saharawis, Said Baha, Youssef Daoudi, Amidan Lehbib and Jabar Abdelvetah.
The four Saharawi detainees were then transferred to the criminal police central station, where they were submitted to interrogatories by the Moroccan secret services under the threat of "torturing them and deporting them in case they participate in more peaceful demonstrations organised by the Saharawi population wthin the framework of the popular uprising of independence that is ongoing since last May 2005", the same sources indicated.
The Moroccan secret services falsely accused the victims "of dope dealing, clandestine immigration, warning them that they will be brought before court as criminals if they continue participating to the demonstrations that call for the independence o Western Sahara.
Saharawi human rights activists and political prisoners, incarcerated in Moroccan prisons: the Carcel negra (Black Jail) in El Aaiun, Smara (Western Sahara), Ait Melloul, Kenitra, Tiznit and Galaat Sraghna (Morocco), condemned, in their press release, the inhumane treatments, such as torture, repression, humiliation and threat of assassination, all the Saharawi prisoners are subjected to, it should be recalled. (SPS)
020/090/000/TRD 021230 Fev 06 SPS
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SPS Namibia reaffirms its constant position of support to the Saharawi people
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Windhoek (Namibia), 02/02/2006 (SPS) The Namibian President, Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, recently reaffirmed "the clear and constant position of principle of support to the Saharawi people cause", calling to "a quick solution to the Western Sahara4s conflict for the establishment of peace and stability in the region", indicated the Saharawi Embassy to Namibia.
The ceremony was attended by the diplomatic corps accredited in Namibia and with the presence of the Saharawi and Moroccan Ambassadors, respectively Ahmed Salama and Abdallah Aitelhaj, the same source added.
Mr. Hifikepunye also underlined that "the current impasse must be surmounted by initiatives conforming to the UN’s peace plan, which recommends a referendum in Western Sahara, as accepted by Morocco and Polisario Front".
Namibia maintains excellent diplomatic relations with the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic since June the 11th 1990, it should be recalled. (SPS)
020/090/000/TRD 021415 Feb 06 SPS
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SPS Polisario Front warns against the Moroccan preposition of autonomy in Western Sahara
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New York, 02/02/2006 (SPS) Polisario Front’s Representative to he UN, Boukhari Ahmed, warned on Thursday against the Moroccan preposition of autonomy, which is a violation to the principles that led to the cease-fire the two arties to the conflict signed, estimating that "Morocco must assume the political responsibility of such a breaking of the cease-fire".
In a statement to Europa Press, in reaction to a letter addressed by the Morocco to Kofi Annan, UN’s Secretary General, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed, reject the Moroccan preposition of autonomy to Western Sahara, underlining that this offer was "born dead" because it does not abide by the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.
He also said that the Moroccan preposition of autonomy was "born dead", taking into consideration that the UN, taking account of the accords signed by the two parties to the conflict, talks about the organisation of a self-determination referendum and not an autonomy "because this preposition can not advance, nor can it obtain the agreement of the Polisario Front".
Mr. Boukhari recalled that the Polisario Front only recognises the right to self-determination through a referendum, underlining that the Madrid’s Accords do not have juridical validity, and thus the Moroccan presence in the Western Sahara "is illegal".
He added that the UN’s General Assembly’s resolution 3437 qualifies "this presence as a military occupation". (SPS
020/090/100/TRD 021745 Feb 06 SPS
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SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE