Rabat: Moroccan forces suppress Sahrawi solidarity protest

Moroccan security forces suppressed a solidarity protest in Rabat organized by the families of Sahrawi political detainees. The demonstration, held in front of the headquarters of the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, was intended to support Sahrawi prisoners currently on a hunger strike.

According to Sahrawi human rights organizations, the intervention resulted in several injuries and the arrest of at least six Sahrawi activists, including Hasna Douihi, Ibrahim Babit, Salah al-Din al-Sabbar, al-Hussein al-Shihab, Khalid Boufariwa, and Mohammed Lamrabat. The fate of several other protesters, including Sahrawi students, remains unknown.

During the protest, participants raised flags of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and called for self-determination and independence, asserting that the Polisario Front is the sole legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people. The protesters also demanded an end to the isolation and punitive measures imposed on detainees, specifically those from the ‘Gdeim Izik’ group, who have been on a hunger strike since September 23 to protest their detention conditions and lack of family visitation.