Western Sahara: Morocco Expels Members of Spanish Human Rights Monitoring Mission

Morocco has once again blocked a Spanish monitoring mission from the Canary Islands from accessing the occupied Sahrawi territories, in continuation of its repression policy and obstruction of any effort aimed at documenting the serious violations of the Sahrawi people’s human rights.

Spanish media sources reported that on Tuesday, Moroccan security forces prevented a delegation from disembarking upon its arrival in occupied al-Aaiun on Tuesday, and was later expelled back.

The Canary Island’s delegation, consisting of Carmelo Ram?rez, advisor for Institutional Cooperation and International Solidarity at Gran Canaria Island, the president of the federation supporting the Sahrawi people Noem? Santana Perera, member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies for the Podemos Party, as well as Fernando Ruiz Pérez, secretary of Communications for Podemos Canaria, was expelled before they could conduct their human rights monitoring mission in occupied Western Sahara.

Media sources quoted Carmelo Ramirez as saying “This is illegal” upon disembarking. He continued, criticizing Moroccan security forces: “You have no sovereignty over Western Sahara. You’ve been occupying it by force since 1975, mistreating the peaceful Sahrawi people who live on this land, plundering its natural resources, and violating all international agreements. You have no right to be here. If this is how you treat us, how do you treat the Sahrawis?” In a press statement issued on their return to the Canary Islands, the delegation described the action as “an unacceptable act of repression and an obstruction of peaceful efforts to monitor the grave and systematic human rights violations endured by the Sahrawi people.” The delegation expressed its concern regarding Morocco’s continued implementation of a system of impunity, allowing arbitrary arrests, torture, forced disappearances, unfair trials, and ongoing persecution of human rights defenders, as well as the imprisonment of Sahrawi political activists for exercising their right to freedom of expression and self-determination.

“We strongly condemn this expulsion and Morocco’s systematic obstruction of access for delegations, observers, and solidarity organizations to the occupied territories, aimed at silencing the Sahrawi people and concealing the repression they are enduring,” added the statement.