International Community Urged to Break Silence on Sahrawi People’s Persecution by Moroccan Occupation

Sat 06/07/2025 - 15:34

Berlin, 7 June 2025 (SPS) – Aminatou Haidar, President of the Sahrawi Organization against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM), called on the international community to break its silence regarding the repression and persecution faced by the Sahrawi people in the occupied territories of Western Sahara by Morocco. She stressed that the suffering of the Sahrawis "must finally be heard after decades of international neglect." 

Her remarks came during her participation in a human rights symposium held in the German capital, Berlin, at the invitation of the International League for Human Rights and organizations supporting the Sahrawi cause. Haidar focused on the alarming situation of Sahrawi political prisoners held in Moroccan occupation jails. 

The ISACOM president emphasized that the Sahrawi people’s suffering "must find receptive ears after decades of international neglect," urging the global community to break its silence on the repression and persecution endured by the Sahrawis in the occupied territories. 

In an interview with the German newspaper Junge Welt, Aminatou Haidar described the situation in occupied Western Sahara as "suffocating," where the Moroccan occupation denies freedom of expression, bans protests, and prohibits the establishment of associations. She noted that "those who raise their voices face torture, imprisonment, and repression—and sometimes, their families are targeted as well." 

She added that "the judiciary is not independent but biased in favor of the occupation, often issuing harsh and unjust prison sentences against protesters." Currently, there are 45 Sahrawi political prisoners, many of whom have been sentenced to lengthy terms, including 20 years or even life imprisonment. 

The worst affected, she said, were "the organizers and participants of the Gdeim Izik protest camp, who received the harshest punishments." She also highlighted the severe media blackout on events in the occupied Sahrawi territories, where international observers—including members of the European Parliament—have been expelled or barred from entry. 

The Sahrawi rights activist sent a message to German political parties, trade unions, and organizations, calling for greater solidarity with the Sahrawi people.