CODESA Condemns Systematic Repression Against Its Members in Occupied Western Sahara
The Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA) has denounced what it describes as a “systematic repressive campaign” against its members, particularly targeting its president, Ali Salem Tamek. His residence has reportedly been placed under constant surveillance and blockade by Moroccan occupation forces for the past two weeks.
In a statement published on social media Monday, CODESA detailed the restrictions, stating that since February 24, 2025, Moroccan occupation forces have been maintaining a permanent siege on Ali Salem Tamek’s home in occupied Laayoune.
Beyond this restrictive monitoring, the collective reported multiple attempts to cut off electricity to Tamek’s residence, as well as attacks on residents of the building where he lives.
CODESA also condemned what it described as a serious criminal act on March 1, when Moroccan authorities and plainclothes police officers allegedly broke into the building, used ladders to dismantle and steal four surveillance cameras installed on the exterior walls of the first floor, where Tamek resides.
“These individuals, acting under the orders of the Moroccan occupation authorities, illegally entered the building and stole these cameras,” the statement read, describing the act as “a grave violation of the right to monitor and document human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan occupation forces.”
The collective warned that this escalation poses an imminent threat to the life, physical integrity, and personal security of Tamek, his family, other CODESA members, and residents of the building.
Furthermore, CODESA highlighted that these repressive measures coincide with two significant events:
The illegal visit of the President of the French Senate and French diplomats to occupied Western Sahara.
The 49th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
The organization also criticized the expulsions and travel bans imposed on European parliamentarians and international observers attempting to visit the occupied territory.
For CODESA, France’s diplomatic presence in Western Sahara, combined with the exclusion of independent observers, “encourages impunity”, enabling Moroccan forces to continue their human rights violations without accountability.
“The absence of a real accountability mechanism only worsens this situation,” the statement concluded.
APS
