Abdelmoula Mohamed El Hafedh

Abdelmoula Mohamed El Hafedh is a Sahrawi human rights defender and member of the Sahrawi League for the Defence of Human Rights and the Protection of Natural Resources, active in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. The organization regularly campaigns for the right of Sahrawi people for self-determination and against the extraction of natural resources in the territory—including renewable energy and mining—without the consent of the local population.

Known for his advocacy in support of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, he has faced repeated reprisals by the Moroccan authorities. In April 2016, he was arrested as a student leader, alongside a group of Sahrawi students and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment following a trial reportedly lacking fair trial guarantees. During his detention, he was subjected to ill-treatment, discrimination, and medical neglect.

Since his release from Safi Prison in April 2026, he has continued to face surveillance, restrictions, and harassment linked to his human rights activism.