Canada supports unconditional release of Moroccan POWs
Morocco-Canada, Politics, 9/10/2003

"Canada supports the unconditional release of all prisoners of war," said here Monday Canadian deputy, Bernard Patry (liberal), as he was receiving a Moroccan delegation to conduct a campaign for the release of Moroccan prisoners held in the Tindouf camps (southeastern Algeria) by the Polisario mercenaries.

The one-week campaign, initiated by "Espoir Maroc" with the support of the Moroccan Canadian Federation (FMC), is meant to establish contacts with Canadian officials, NGOs and public opinion to foster awareness of the tragedy of over 900 Moroccan POWs still held in captivity, in despise of international law and Geneva conventions, Espoir Maroc president, Mehdi Sekkouri, said.

Sekkouri, Mehdi Boukheima, a pilot released in 2002 after 24 years of captivity and torture and Fatima Abdelmoumen, spouse of Captain Atmane who has just been released after 26 years in the camps have started the campaign Monday by a meeting with Patry who heads the standing committee of foreign affairs and international trade at Ottawa's parliament.

Recounting his years of detention in the camps of Tindouf and others in northern Algeria, Boukhaima said "there is no respect for human rights in the Tindouf camps and prisons." "We were prisoners in the hands of prisoners," he answered a question of Patry on leadership in the camps.

On her part, Abdelmoumen said in addition to the 914 POWs whose case is known, there are some 600 prisoners unaccounted for by the International Committee Red Cross.

The deputy, who assured the Moroccan delegation of his support, had visited Morocco and the Tindouf camps, and inquired personally on the tragedy of the Moroccan prisoners.

Habib Boukheima and Fatema Abdelmoumen will be meeting several executives of the association "Development and Peace" and the Canadian section of Amnesty International, besides several federal and local officials and deputies.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan, Canadian officials ponder bilateral cooperation   (9/8/2003)
  Canada backs negotiated solution to Sahara issue   (8/6/2003)
  Canadian MPs in Morocco May 10-12   (5/10/2003)

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