Saharawi Women strongly support the Human Rights Watch´s World Report 2012 issued some days ago and express their agreement in the recommendations for the moroccan government to respect human rights in the Western Sahara´s occupied cities where the moroccan army daily use repression against the saharawi citizens organize peaceful demonstrations.
The Organization indicated that Moroccan authorities “still continue to suppress the peaceful demonstrations organized by the Saharawi citizens in the occupied territories of Western Sahara that demand self-determination and independence,” asking Morocco to stop violating the legitimate right to demonstrate which is provided by all international covenants.
It also expressed its concern on the detention of twenty-three Sahrawi civilians for their alleged role in Gdeim Izik camp and taking them to a military court, in addition to the detention of another 120 Sahrawi human rights activists for political reasons.
HRW demanded that Moroccan security services be accountable for using the excessive force, when dispersing the Saharawi demonstrators.
“Moroccan regime still prevents the establishment of associations and organizations of human rights in Western Sahara,” added the report.
“The people driving the Arab Spring deserve strong international support to realize their rights and to build genuine democracies,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Loyalty to autocratic friends shouldn’t stand in the way of siding with democratic reformers. International influence is also needed to ensure that the new governments extend human rights and the rule of law to all, especially women and minorities.”
“Rights-respecting governments should support international justice regardless of political considerations. It’s misguided to believe that allowing countries to sweep past abuses under the rug will somehow avoid encouraging future atrocities,” Roth said.
