Morocco renews demand for immediate release of all Moroccans detained in Algeria
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 1/11/2002

Morocco has renewed, in a letter to the United Nations Security Council, demand for the immediate return and repatriation of all Moroccans detained in Algeria.

A letter sent Wednesday by Morocco's permanent delegate to the world body deplores that despite the UN secretary general's repeated calls for the repatriation of some 1,480 Moroccans, who have been held for over two decades in Algeria-based camps, the Polisario (separatist guerrilla movement) is still exploiting these people for political and propaganda ends, by liberating from time to time a small group. The Algerian-backed Polisario has announced this month it will liberate a group of 115 prisoners it is holding in its jails on Algerian soil.

The exploitation made of the issue of Moroccans held in detention is a blatant violation of humanitarian law and despises resolution 1359 of the security council which requests the liberation, without delay, of all persons detained since the conflict started, says the letter released after the security council chairman made a press statement following the council informal contacts on the Sahara issue.

Morocco further recalls that its has been scrupulously respecting the international humanitarian law and has fully cooperated with the competent international bodies. In close collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Morocco has, several years ago, honored its humanitarian commitments by liberating all civil and military persons it has been detaining as a result of the Sahara conflict and the ICRC has formally recognized that Morocco does no longer detain any person of those claiming to belong to the Polisario.

The Polisario continues to wage a dis-information campaign on alleged missing persons although the ICRC conducted a mission in Morocco last November in order to close one and for all the issue of 24 persons detained in Morocco, says the letter, adding that the ICRC mission met without witnesses all the concerned persons and found out that they are leading a normal life in Morocco, bringing thus a flat denial to the Polisario allegations.

Morocco also rejects the amalgam and propaganda made by the Polisario regarding recent information on the fate of some prisoners in Laayoune (southern Morocco), and informs the security council that a group of 97 persons have been arrested and brought to court for having looted property to press on with social claims in Smara (southern Morocco) last November while others were arrested and tried for other offenses like, murder, rape, drug trafficking and assault.

The letter further explains that Moroccan human rights organizations were able to visit all the prisoners who observed a hunger strike to protest their detention conditions and stopped the protest movement after the Moroccan government took measures to improve their detention conditions.

Morocco then called the Security Council to carry on its efforts for the liberation, without delay and pre-conditions, all Moroccan prisoners held in the Algeria-based camps, and for the establishment of a final solution to the regional conflict in the frame provided for by resolution 1359.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan association launches international campaign for release of prisoners held by separatists   (1/7/2002)
  UN Security Council welcomes decision to release 115 Moroccan Nationals   (1/5/2002)
  Morocco welcomes release of 115 nationals detained in Algeria   (1/4/2002)

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