French NGO AARASD to Lead Solidarity March for Sahrawi Political Prisoners
PARIS – The Association of Friends of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (AARASD), a French NGO advocating for Sahrawi rights, has announced a solidarity march to demand the release of Sahrawi political prisoners. The march will begin on March 30 in Ivry-sur-Seine, France, and travel through parts of France and Spain before reaching Morocco, where a sit-in is planned outside Kenitra prison.
In a public statement, AARASD highlighted the symbolic link between Ivry-sur-Seine and Kenitra, home cities of French activist Claude Mangin-Asfari and her imprisoned husband, Naâma Asfari, a Sahrawi political detainee since 2010. The NGO emphasized that the march, scheduled to continue until June 2025, aims to raise awareness about the Sahrawi people’s struggle and their right to self-determination, as recognized by the United Nations.
AARASD reiterated calls for the immediate release of Sahrawi activists incarcerated for advocating their rights, citing a 2023 UN ruling that classified their detention as arbitrary. The march will be supported by solidarity groups along its route, underscoring growing international pressure on Morocco to respect human rights and international law.
