Sahrawi Human Rights Committee Condemns Violence Against Women in Occupied Western Sahara
The Sahrawi National Human Rights Committee has condemned all forms of violence against women and girls perpetrated by the Moroccan occupation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the committee expressed its solidarity with the resilient Sahrawi women in the occupied territories of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), who continue to face brutal acts of violence and violations committed by Moroccan forces, which defy international laws and conventions.
In observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Sahrawi Committee praised the courage and resistance of Sahrawi women, who have been at the forefront of the struggle for their people’s freedom. Despite enduring some of the harshest practices, including violations of their basic rights, Sahrawi women have steadfastly supported the resistance movement and have been subjected to horrific acts of abuse and mistreatment.
The committee also expressed its support for the families, mothers, and wives of those detained in the “Gdeim Izik” massacre, as well as the student group detainees and all Sahrawi political prisoners currently held in Moroccan jails. These individuals continue to endure unjust treatment under Moroccan occupation, facing severe abuse that violates international humanitarian norms.
The Sahrawi Human Rights Committee reiterated its unwavering support for the Sahrawi women who remain victims of systemic sexual violence, torture, and suppression in the occupied territories. These women also face ongoing economic hardships as a result of Morocco’s policies aimed at silencing dissent and quelling the struggle for freedom in the region.
The committee urged the United Nations Secretary-General and the UN Security Council to establish an independent mechanism to monitor and report on human rights violations in Western Sahara. They also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to fulfill its legal responsibilities by providing protection for the Sahrawi people under occupation.
Furthermore, the committee called on the UN Human Rights Council and its various mechanisms to implement the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to ensure the protection of human rights in the occupied territories, particularly to end the systemic torture faced by the Sahrawi people, with a special focus on women.
Finally, the Sahrawi National Human Rights Committee demanded that the occupying power immediately release all Sahrawi defenders, activists, and political prisoners, annul the unjust and fabricated sentences against them, reveal the fate of the disappeared Sahrawis, and allow international media and monitors unrestricted access to the occupied territory of Western Sahara.
