Lemrabet press statements on Sahrawi populations are inadmissible, Sahrawi associations

Spokesman of human rights associations in Morocco's southern provinces, Ahmed El Kher, described, on Thursday, statements made by journalist Ali Lemrabet on the populations sequestered in Tindouf as "inadmissible."

Lemrabet's statements are inadmissible because they contain allegations and false claims, namely that they are not sequestrated, whose only goal is to encourage the inhuman practices of the Polisario separatists against our families that are sequestered in Tindouf camps (south-western Algeria), he pointed out in a statement to MAP agency.

"The acts of this person are abject and irresponsible because he breaks off the national unanimity concerning the Sahara question and shows a complete lack of patriotism," said Al Kher.

Several sit-ins were staged Thursday in Rabat to denounce the "irresponsible" position of the journalist Ali Lemrabet vis-a-vis the populations who are sequestered by the Polisario, an Algeria-backed guerrilla movement claiming the separation of Morocco's southern provinces (Sahara).

The spokesman underlined that the sit-ins are aimed at pushing the civil society, the parliament and the government to "take the necessary measures" to put an end to all acts that "undermine the sacred values of the nation."

El Kher believes Lemrabet's statements will encourage the separatists to pursue their repressive policy, and perpetuate "the tragedy of Sahrawi populations."

On his part, spokesman of the Sweden-based Association for Defense of the Detainees in Tindouf, Yahya Elmine, said "Lemrabet's allegations on the non existence of detainees in Tindouf are rejected (É) because they cast doubt on our struggle as human rights militants and as persons who are directly concerned."

Polisario mercenaries, he said, "inflicted upon us all kinds of torture and humiliation in Tindouf camps and they continue doing the same thing against thousands of other detainees."