Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Morocco banned Web Sites in the Occupied area of W.Sahara

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/STATE OF SIEGE
Moroccan authorities blocked web sites that sympathise with the Saharawi cause
Chahid El Hafed (refugee camps), 23/11/2005 (SPS) Moroccan Government proceeded to the blockage of the majority of the Saharawi web sites to the public in the occupied territories and south Morocco, Saharawi Journalists' and Writers' Union, (UPES), denounced in a press release publicised on Tuesday.
"Moroccan authorities proceeded, on Monday the 21st of November, to the blocking of many Saharawi or sympathisers with the Saharawi cause's web sites", UPES underlined, calling the companies "and competent bodies to adopt rigorous sanctions against this act of web hacking and this violation of the freedom of expression".
"By blocking web sites such as Sahara Press Service, Arso or Les Cahiers du Sahara and dozen other sites sympathising with the Saharawi cause, making it impossible for Saharawi citizens in the occupied territories of Western Sahara to have access to the sources of information, Morocco openly violates the principles of democracy, freedom of expression and the right to have access to information besides violating all international conventions", the text adds.
UPES called on "the UN, democrat Governments and Parliaments, Organisations and personalities concerned about peace and justice to pressure Morocco put an end to the security and Medias siege it imposes on the occupied zones of the Western Sahara since 1975", the date of the Moroccan military invasion of the non-self-governing territory..
On another hand, it encourages international press and NGOs to visit the occupied zones of the Western Sahara, with a view to "investigate by themselves on the Moroccan violations of Saharawi people's political, cultural, social and economical rights".
It also recalled "the international community that Western Sahara, illegally occupied by Morocco, is a non-self-governing territory, which is still under the authority of the UN as it can be understood from the UN's General Assembly and Security Council's resolutions. That is to say that the UN must assume all its responsibilities towards the Saharawi people, including their protection from Moroccan tyranny and repression and the finishing of the decolonisation process of the territory conforming to the international legality and to the principles of the UN's Charter". (SPS)

The Saharawi political prisoners demand judgment before an international court

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/POLITICALPRISONERS/TRIALS
Brought before the colonial court 14 Saharawi political prisoners demand judgment before an international court
El Aaiun (occupied territories), 22/11/2005 (SPS) Brought on Tuesday before the Moroccan colonial court in El Aaiun, 14 Saharawi political prisoners refused to recognise the legitimacy of this court demanding to be judged by an international one and reiterated their political position in favour of the independence of Western Sahara, reported the correspondent of SPS on the ground.
"The judges looked troubled by the presence of some foreign journalists and observers especially from Spain and Morocco, and were further troubled when the Saharawi political prisoners openly declared the Moroccan court illegal, being the Representative of the colonial regime that occupies Western Sahara in complete violation of the international legality since 1975", he said.
The Saharawi political prisoners also reiterated their attachment to Saharawi people's right to self-determination and independence, underlining that they "refuse to recognise the accusations falsified by the Moroccan judicial system, which is famous by its injustice and by its repressive methods of repression", indicated a close source to the lawyers of the prisoner who asked for secrecy.
"It is simply ridiculous that the Moroccan judicial authorities stubbornly continue accusing internationally recognised figures such as Mrs. Aminatou Haidar, nominee to the Sajarov Price for human rights, Tamek, Noumria and the others Saharawi detainees of 'constitution of criminal groups', 'violence against employees of the State'...etc, refusing to recognise them their status as political prisoners while the European Parliament, many European national Parliaments and parliamentarians from other continents, including from the US congress clearly define the Saharawi detainees as detainees of consciousness calling for their release and stressing their political claims, their courage and determination to continue the Saharawi people's struggle for independence in peaceful ways", the same source added.
The 14 political prisoners presented under tight security measures, are Mr. Aminatou Haidar, Mr. Ali Salem Tamek, Mr. Laarbi Massoud, Mr. Noumria Brahim, Mr. Mohamed El Moutawakil, Mr. Lidri ElHoussein, Mr. Hmad Hamad, Mr. El Moussaoui Sidi Ahmed, Mr. Balla Mohamed, Mr. Chtioui Mahjoub, Mr. Tahlil Mohamed, Mr. ElJenhi Lekhlifa, Mr. Amidan El Wali, and Mr. Lehouidi Mahmouf.
The lawyers of the political prisoners asked for the postponement of the trial describing it as « iniquitous ». They also asked for conditioned release to their clients, but the Moroccan colonial court refused it reporting the trial however to this November the 30th, the same sources indicated. (SPS)

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