Tuesday, January 26, 2010

WE SHOULD SAVE DIGJA LESHGAR´S LIFE AND HER SIX COLLEAGUES

The Women from Western Sahara express their solidarity and total support to the seven saharawi human rights activist who are in moroccan prison of Salé since last october 8th when they were returning from a family visit to the saharawi refugee camps, these refugees are divided from their family for more than thirty years by the so-called "Wall of Shame" built by the moroccan occupider army.

The Sahrawi human rights activist, Dekja Lashgar, languishing at sale prison, have started, along with six of her colleagues, unlimited hunger strike since Monday, in protest of her arrest conditions.

Fatima Lashgar, sister of Dekja Lashgar, said her sister has abstained from eating since Monday, except for sugared water and is determined to carry on with her hanger strike to achieve her legitimate demands, the source added.

It should be recalled, Dekja Lashgar, had been arrested several times and detained in secret centers during the '80s on the grounds of her position on Western Sahara question, now suffering of mental disorders since her arrest in October

The international NGO: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has denounced, in its 2010 report, published on its website, Morocco's "repressive policy" and human rights violations against the Sahrawi people in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

"The (Moroccan) government, aided by complaisant courts, used repressive legislation to punish and imprison peaceful opponents (Saharwis) because of their peaceful advocacy of self-determination of their country (Western Sahara)," said the New York-based organization

The report indicated that "Restrictions on rights are tight" particularly in Western Sahara, which Morocco claims sovereignty over" and "Numerous Sahrawis were charged or imprisoned because of their peaceful advocacy of self-determination for the Western Sahara,"

HRW denounced the arrest of" seven non-violent Sahrawi activists on October 8 upon their return from openly visiting the Polisario-run refugee camps near Tindouf," and referred them to a military court adding that " The referral of civilians to a military court, where the procedural rights of defendants are abridged, was a rare and ominous development,"

The report criticized Moroccan government for preventing Sahrawi activists from travelling abroad and confiscated their passports, giving examples like "On October 6, Moroccan authorities detained and turned back five well-known Sahrawi activists who were on their way to Mauritania via the land border crossing,"

Human Rights Watch finally condemned that Morocco declines to extend mandate of MINURSO" to include human rights observation and protection" ,appreciating "the Polisario says it supports it.
For all these reasons, the saharawi women launch an urgent appeal to the international community to put pressure on the moroccan government to respect the most elemantary human rights and also to save the life of Mrs. Leshgar and her six colleagues who are suffering the most basic human rights.