Wednesday, January 04, 2006

The trial has been delayed once more

The trials of 14 Saharawi political prisoners was delayed for another week
El Aaiun (the occupied capital of the Saharawi Republic), 04.12/2005 (SPS) he 14 Saharawi political prisoners, sentenced last December 2005 by the Moroccan colonial court to imprisonment periods going between 6 months to 3 years, will have to wait for another week, until January the 9th 2006, to be presented before the Moroccan colonial court of appeal of El Aaiun, concordant sources reported.
"The Moroccan colonial court of appeal of El Aaiun decided this new postponement, t pretended, to give the defence enough time to study the dossiers, while the real reason behind this delay is no more than the prolongation of the sufferings of the families of the Saharawi political prisoners an of the prisoners themselves, who should not, at the first place, be judged for the political opinions and for their peaceful activism to defend a right that is internationally recognised to them in all UN's resolutions, mainly the right to self-determination and independence", stated a source close to the families of the political prisoners who required anonymity.
Moroccan colonial court of El Aaiun condemned 14 Saharawi political detainees, Wednesday 14 December 2005, to sentences going between 6 months to 3 years imprisonment after having postponed the trials twice since last November the 22nd, it should be recalled.
The hearing, which started on Tuesday the 13th December 2005 at 9.00 am until Wednesday the 14th 06.00 am sentenced the following Saharawi detainees: El Wali Amaydan 6 months imprisonment, Aminatou Haidar 7 months, Ali Salem Tamek 8 months, Mohamed El Moutawakil, Houssein Lidri, Larbi Massoud and Brahim Noumria 10 months imprisonment, Mohamed Tahlil 3 years, while Hmad Hammad, Balla Mohamed, El Moussaoui Mohamed, Mahjoub Chtioui, Jenhi Lekhlifa and El Moussaoui Sidi Mohamed were sentenced to 2 years each, the same sources said.
Among the 14 Saharawi prisoners 7 Saharawi human rights activists are considered by Moroccan colonial authorities as the agitators of the demonstrations in favour of the independence of Western Sahara that are taking place in Western Sahara since last May the 21st 2005.
In a letter it sent last December 2005 to the king Mohamed VI, the international human rights organisation underlined that the "proceedings so far have shown that the defendants' rights to a fair trial were at risk", knowing that under Morocco's constitution, the king serves as the president of the country's judiciary, Human Rights Watch emphasised, it should be further recalled. (SPS)





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