U.N. called to free sahrawi families jailed in Algerian camps
Morocco-UN, Politics, 8/18/2003

The Association of Defense of Sahrawi Refugees in Tindouf (ADESETI) has asked the newly-appointed special representative of the United Nations Secretary General for the Sahara, Alvaro De Soto, to spare no effort to find "as soon as possible a solution that brings to a halt the suffering of the Sahrawi families sequestered" by Polisario separatists in Tindouf, south-western Algeria.

ADESETI's spokesman, Alamine Yahya, said, in a message where he congratulated De Soto on the new assignment, that he hopes the tragic situation of the families who live away from their people in Morocco will be resolved.

In another message, the Stockholm-based NGO asked UN secretary general's special representative for human rights defense, hina Ghilani, to "start contacts with Algeria as soon as possible to persuade Polisario to stop human rights violations in Tindouf camps where thousands of Sahrawis are held against their will and submitted to systematic repression."

ADESETI had raised the issue of crimes perpetrated by Polisario leaders against the populations sequestered in the camps in a previous message to prosecutor of International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo. The association said "torture and killings are perpetrated by Polisario leaders against innocent Sahrawis whose only mistake is that they disagree with separatists' theses.

Although "a number of these crimes were committed before 1998, "we want the International Penal Court" to be aware of these barbarous acts whose authors enjoy immunity and some of whom are currently in important posts within the Algeria-backed Polisario, deplored the NGO.

"Some 235 victims, whose identity was determined, were victims of atrocities in Tindouf," the message added.

ADESETI cited concrete cases of people who still carry scars resulting from torture in Polisario prisons.

Previous Stories:
  Al Arabiya: Baker's latest peace plan on Sahara was stillborn, moroccan fm   (8/5/2003)
  Security Council resolution on Sahara matches Morocco's request (minister)   (8/4/2003)
  Morocco ready for dialogue on final settlement to Sahara issue   (8/2/2003)

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