American NGO: Algeria, Polisario bear full responsibility for death of Moroccan POW
Morocco-USA, Politics, 2/3/2005

The American Council for Moroccan POWs (ACMP) held Algeria and The Polisario responsible for the death of Mohamed Lahmadi, who passed away at a hospital in Marrakech, two days only after his release from Tindouf camps, south-western Algeria.

In a letter addressed Tuesday to Algeria's ambassador to the United States, the American NGO urged Algeria to launch a "credible" investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lahmadi, who perished after 17 years of incarceration in the camps of Tindouf that are "run by the thugs of the Polisario front and the direct supervision of the Algerian security apparatus."

ACMP recalls that Lahmadi was repatriated in a "very critical health condition" by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 14 years after the declaration of the currently in effect ceasefire by virtue of which all the Moroccan POWs should have been released.

In addition to Lahmadi's death, the ONG holds Algeria and the Polisario accountable for the "continued and morally reprehensible imprisonment" of 410 Moroccan POWs who are detained in Tindouf in violation of all international norms and conventions.

ACMP calls on Algerian authorities to investigate on the deaths of other Moroccan POWs that have occurred in "unclear circumstances" in the camps.

The letter addressed to the Algerian ambassador deplores that the Moroccan detainees are being held in "dire conditions" and are subjected to all kinds of abuse ranging from slave labour and torture to summary executions as testified by human rights organizations such as "France LibertŽs."

"ACMP reminds the Algerian authorities of the consequences of their continued ignorance of the tragic dimensions of this crisis," that inflicts tremendous physical and psychological damage on the POWs and their families.

The Council has addressed another letter to Algeria's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah Baali, urging Algerian authorities to assume responsibility to guarantee the security of Moroccan POWs and release them, said ACMP in a release.

The document recalls that the Moroccan detainees have been held captives for 28 years, and are considered as the longest-serving prisoners of war in the world.

ACMP also denounced the deportation of thousands of Sahrawi children to Cuba in order to maintain their parents in the camps of Tindouf.

Previous Stories:
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  Morocco's King calls for better understanding between Moroccan and Spanish peoples   (1/18/2005)
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