Moroccan Occupation Expels Spanish Journalist from Occupied Western Sahara

DAKHLA (Occupied Sahrawi Territories), February 6, 2025 – Moroccan authorities expelled Spanish journalist Francisco Carrion from Dakhla, a city in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, on Wednesday. This action is part of an oppressive blockade that restricts access for international observers, human rights defenders, and foreign journalists to the region, aiming to conceal the escalating human rights violations occurring there.

Hassan Zerouali, a member of the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara (CODESA), reported on his official social media account that Moroccan forces prevented Carrion, a reporter for “El Independiente,” from entering Dakhla. They returned him to Madrid on the same flight, declaring him “persona non grata” due to his critical coverage of the Moroccan regime’s policies.

In response to his expulsion, Carrion pointed out the stark contradiction in Dakhla, where Morocco promotes the city as “the gateway to paradise,” while the Sahrawi people endure a “hellish” existence, longing for freedom and independence in their homeland.

The Sahrawi organization against the Moroccan occupation (ISACOM) voiced serious concerns regarding the Moroccan authorities’ prohibition of international observers from entering the occupied Western Sahara. This ban occurs against a backdrop of disregard for international law in the region and blatant contempt for the United Nations and its mechanisms.