Case Update: Western Sahara - Ongoing harassment of human rights defenders following Front Line visit to the region

Your Excellency,

I am deeply concerned by the news of the ongoing detention of Western Saharan human rights defender Shikhin Brahim and the harassment of human rights defenders Alnassiri Ahmed and Engiya Boukhars following meetings with Front Line representatives and a peaceful demonstration in Smara on 21 September 2008.

According to information received, as Front Line was visiting the region, on 21 September 2008, a group of Western Saharan activists, which included human rights defenders, organised a peaceful demonstration in the town of Smara, following which the Moroccan security services launched a campaign of arbitrary arrests of several defenders and attacked several homes. While I welcome the release of nearly all of those arrested, Shikhin Brahim reportedly remains in detention at the El-Ayoune prison. Shikhin Brahim is a school student and member of the Committee for Protection of Human Rights in Smara-Western Sahara.

Following a Front Line delegation meeting with Alnassiri Ahmed, the Secretary General of the Committee for Protection of Human Rights in Smara-Western Sahra and a member of the Moroccan Human Rights Society, Moroccan security services allegedly attempted to arrest him at his home but did not find him there. Following this attempted arrest, he received an official letter dismissing him from his job at Khraibka Municipality, apparently as a result of his human rights work and his meeting with Front Line. Previous reports show that Alnassiri Ahmed was subjected five times to arbitrary detention during 2002-2004 and was twice suspended from work. Alnassiri Ahmed is married and a father of four children.

Human rights defender Engiya Boukhars, who also met with the Front Line delegation, was subjected to physical assault on 21 September 2008 by security forces resulting in an injury near the right eye and since then she had her salary frozen. Engiya Boukhars is an active member of the Sahrawi Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Smara and a single parent of four children. Previous reports allege that she was a victim of detention and torture in March and July 2006.

I believe that the continued detention and harassment of Western Saharan human rights defenders is directly related to their legitimate and non-violent work in defence of human rights, in particular the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. I am concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of all human rights defenders involved, as well as that of their families.

I call on the authorities in Morocco to:

1.Grant the immediate and unconditional release of Shikhin Brahim as he is reportedly being detained solely on the basis of his legitimate non-violent human rights work; 2.Take measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Shikhin Brahim while in detention, as well as that of all human rights defenders and their families; 3.Reconsider the dismissal of Alnassiri Ahmed and salary suspension of Engiya Boukhars, and to put an end for using financial pressure to hinder human rights defenders from doing their legitimate work; 4.Conduct an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the abovementioned cases and other similar cases of the ongoing violations against human rights defenders in Smara and other parts of Western Sahara, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards; 5.Permit the registration of Western Saharan non-governmental organisations; 6.Take measures to ensure that all human rights defenders in Western Sahara, carrying out their legitimate work in human rights, are able to operate free of all restrictions and harassment.

Yours sincerely,