ICRC meets families of Moroccan prisoners held in Algeria

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in Geneva Thursday it has recently visited families of Moroccans held captive in Algeria to comfort them by giving them some of their relatives' whereabouts.

The ICRC said in a release that "from 14 to 26 January 2004, as part of its efforts to help Moroccan prisoners held by the Polisario Front to maintain links with their families, an ICRC delegate met in Morocco the families of 130 of the 614 prisoners still in captivity and some 50 former prisoners who had been repatriated by the ICRC."

The meetings were organized in cooperation with the Moroccan Red Crescent and with the support of the Gendarmerie Royale, the army social services and various local authorities. They took place in the cities of Settat, Khouribga, Beni Mellal, Azilal, Kalaat Seraghna, Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Zagora.

"The aim was to comfort the families by bringing them news of their detained relatives. Photographs of the families were taken and 228 Red Cross messages were collected to take back to the prisoners."

"ICRC delegates visit the prisoners twice each year. Their most recent visit took place from 2 to 16 December 2003. The delegates assess conditions of captivity and the physical and mental health of the prisoners."

A group of 300 Moroccans who were held captive in Algeria have been released early November following Libya's intercession with Algerian authorities.

The international community has been repeatedly urging for the unconditional release of all Moroccans held in Algeria, in total violation of all international conventions and agreements.