Front Line is concerned about the travel restrictions imposed on the human rights defender, El Ghalia Djimi by the Moroccan authorities. On 12 October 2007, the Moroccan authorities prevented her from leaving Morocco in order to attend meetings with various international organisations, including a forthcoming Front Line conference in Dublin from 22 – 24 November 2007. El Ghalia Djimi is the Vice President of l’Association Sahraouie des Victims des Violations Graves des Droits Humains Commises par l’Etat Marocain – ASVDH (Saharan Association of Victims of Serious Violations of Human Rights Committed by the Moroccan State)
Further Information
Posted 01/11/2007 On 12 October 2007, El Ghalia Djimi was refused a ‘certificate of authorisation to leave the country’ by her employer the Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture of El Ayoune. The certificate of authorisation is a document that every civil servant must obtain in order to travel abroad. The Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture did not apparently justify his decision and has confiscated all the documents El Ghalia Djimi produced to apply for the certificate. Her annual holidays were scheduled to begin on 15 of October and end on the 26 of November 2007. It was during her annual leave that she had intended to travel to France, at the invitation of Amnesty International, and to Ireland to attend the Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders organised by Front Line from 22 – 24 November 2007. El Ghalia Djimi intends to reapply for authorisation to leave Morocco so that she can attend the Front Line conference.
Front Line is of the opinion that the refusal to grant El Ghalia Djimi a ‘certificate of authorisation to leave the country’ is linked to her peaceful and legitimate human rights activities and that of her colleagues. In April 2007, El Ghalia Djimi visited the European Parliament, in Brussels, where she publicly denounced human rights violations allegedly committed by the Moroccan State in Western Sahara. Similarly, Daha Rahmouni and Mohammed Mayara, members of ASVDH and also civil servants, attended the sixth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, held from 10 – 28 September 2007, in Geneva. Both members of ASVDH reported on the human rights situation in Western Sahara.
The ASVDH has not been officially recognised by the Moroccan authorities and its members have been arrested, assaulted, ill treated and threatened. Three members of the ASVDH, Ibrahim Sabbar, Ahmed Sbai and Mohammed Tahill are currently in prison. In 1997, El Ghalia Djimi was the victim of a forced disappearance lasting three years and seven months. She is currently victim of ongoing harassment in her workplace. Since 1996, her job prospects have stagnated even though she has successfully passed an internal exam.
Front Line is of the opinion that El Ghalia Djimi has been targeted as a direct result of her peaceful and legitimate human rights activities. Front Line believes that the refusal of the Moroccan authorities to grant a certificate authorising her to leave the country is a further attempt by the Moroccan authorities to prevent members of the ASVDH from carrying out their human rights activities.
Action Finished:
This Urgent Appeal has now ended. No further action is requested at this point. Thank you for taking action on this case.
Front Line issues Urgent Appeals on behalf of human rights defenders at risk on a daily basis. These Appeals normally remain active on our web site for a period of up to six weeks, depending on the situation. After this time they will be archived. Front Line maintains a watching brief on all these cases but no further action is requested after the six weeks, unless there is a significant development in the case.
