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WEEKLY NEWS |
original french
10.-16.11.2002
- SADR
- OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
- REFERENDUM
- HUMAN RIGHTS
- COMING UP
- INTERNET
- NEW PUBLICATIONS
SADR
12.11.02
President Abdelaziz appointed Mustapha Mohamed Ali Sidi El Bechir, a
member of the National Secretariat, a former military commander and
wali, to the post of Minister of the Occupied Territories and the
Saharawi community abroad. He will replace Ayoub Lehbib, recently
gone over to Morocco, who was appointed, but never took up the
position. (SPS)
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
10.11.02
Political prisoners: Tamek
Since 1 November, Ali Salem Tamek has been observing a hunger strike
in protest at the conditions of his detention. On the 10th day of the
strike, denouncing the indifference of the Moroccan authorities, he
published a statement in which he renews his grievances, namely the
improvement of his prison conditions, the recognition of his status
as political detainee, the revision of his trial and his transfer to
the penitentiary complex of Salé. Tamek has pointed out that
his state of health has deteriorated. He is suffering from stomach
problems, rheumatism and asthma. He has threatened to make his strike
more radical if the Moroccan authorities continue to ignore his
legitimate complaints. Finally, Tamek expressed his solidarity with
all Saharawi detainees held in El Ayoun prison, and demanded their
release and the establishment of the truth on the fate of disappeared
Saharawis. (corr.)
11.11.02 :
Political prisoners: Tamek (continued)
Saharawi students in Rabat organised a sit-in outside the management
of the prison service, asking the immediate and unconditional release
of Tamek. A delegation is received by the General Director of
Prisons, who takes note of their grievances and promises to act.
The family of Ali Salem Tamek travel from Assa to Inzegane near
Agadir for a sit-in outside the prison.
In the course of the day, the director of Inzegane prison, after
talking to Tamek, assures him that his grievances are being taken
into account. He therefore decides to suspend his strike, he is
transferred the same evening to the penitentiary complex of
Salé near Rabat. (corr.)
13.11.02
Political prisoners: Nassiri,
trial postponed once again
Repetition of the scene at the court of appeal in El Ayoun: the trial
of Nassiri Ahmed was postponed until 27 November because of the
absence of a dozen witnesses. Five witnesses seem not to have
received their papers asking them to appear, they will be called
again. The court decided to force them to appear. Two missing
witnesses are incarcerated in the civil prison in El Ayoun. The
representative of the public ministry, responsible for the prison,
declared he had put out an order for appearance without checking it
was executed. The court took the decision to force the prisoners to
present themselves at the sitting on 27 November.
The defence, made up of several lawyers, including one Moroccan,
denounced the successive postponements of the trial because of the
absence of witnesses, whereas the court has constraining powers to
make them appear. It described this negligence as scandalous and
denounced the willingness to prolong the suffering Nassiri is
enduring in a prison known for its inhuman conditions.
The request for provisional release of the accused - to allow him to
pass Ramadan with his family - was also refused, even though Nassiri
fulfils all the legal criteria: an official of fixed abode, family
man, etc. The accused himself attempted to intervene to protest
against the new postponement of the trial and the refusal of bail,
but the judge ordered him to be quiet.
The hearing was attended by a large public audience and by two
Spanish lawyers present as observers. Numerous officers of the
information services, DST, RG, DAG, were present in the courtroom and
around the building.
The Saharawi students in Rabat organised a sit-in outside the office
of the Ministry of Human Rights, demanding the release of Nassiri and
of all Saharawi political detainees. A delegation was received by
members of the Minister's cabinet, who asked them to come back and
present their grievances when the government is sworn
in.(corr.)
14.11.02
Political prisoners: Nassiri
Nassiri has begun a hunger strike in protest at the repeated
postponements of his trial.(corr.)
15.11.02
Political prisoners: Tamek
A Saharawi student delegation was received again by the head of the
Rabat prison service, to which it presented a document concerning the
grievances of Tamek. After the meeting the students declared that the
tone had changed and that the authorities were not respecting their
undertakings and were maintaining restrictions on Tamek's right to
visitors. (corr.)
REFERENDUM
12.11.02
Spain: 7th conference of parliamentary intergroups "Peace and Freedom
for the Saharawi people"
Meeting in Merida, the representatives of the intergroups of
autonomous parliaments pronounced themselves in favour of the
celebration of the referendum in Western Sahara and decided to visit
the occupied territories next year, "to talk with Moroccan
authorities and in solidarity with the population of the occupied
territories." This 7th conference aimed to "pursue all efforts
towards ensuring the freedom of Western Sahara, freedom which we
promised in 1975 and which lamentably has not come about", the
president of these parliamentary intergroups, Txomin Aurrekoetxea,
emphasised during a press update. He indicated that Spain had "an
historic debt" towards the Saharawi people, and should undertake to
improve the food situation of the Saharawi refugees. The intergroups
are present in the 17 autonomous communities as well as in the
Congress and the Senate. (agencies)
15-23.11.02
Symbolic referendum
Support organisations of the Saharawi people in the Madrid region are
organising a symbolic referendum on the independence of Western
Sahara. "Do you agree that the Spanish government should support
unequivocally the implementation of the UN peace plan and the urgent
holding of the referendum of self-determination for the Saharawi
people?" and "Do you agree that the Spanish government should
officially recognise the Polisario Front as the legitimate
representative of the Saharawi people?" are the two questions put to
all those who take part in this referendum. Until 23 November, ballot
boxes are at the disposal of citizens of several towns of the
autonomous community of Madrid. It is also possible to vote on
internet: http://www.canalsolidario.com/referendumsahara.
The Spanish ministry of Foreign Affairs deplored this initiative,
calling it a "clearly private" consultation "in which the government
has no part". (agencies)
INTERNATIONAL
CAMPAIGN of the BIRDHSO: Sign
the Appeal "Freedom and Justice for the 526 Saharawi
Disappeared" CAMPAGNE
INTERNATIONALE du BIRDHSO: signez
l'Appel "Liberté et Justice pour les 526 disparus
sahraouis" CAMPANA
INTERNACIONAL del BIRDHSO:
Firmen el Llamamento "Libertad y justicia para los 526
desparecidos saharauis CAMPAGNA
INTERNAZIONALE del BIRDHSO: Firma
el Apello "Libertà e Giustizia per i 526
desaparecidos Sahraui"
COMING UP...
(see also the agenda)
Reminder:
15.-23.11.02,
Madrid: Referéndum simbolico: La Plataforma Pro
Referéndum Libre en el Sáhara Occidental
organizá una consulta popular sobre el futuro del
Sáhara del 15 al 23 de noviembre. Sábado 23 de
Noviembre, a las 12H., en la Plaza Mayor de Madrid.
También se puede votar por internet en: http://www.canalsolidario.com/referendumsahara
20.11.02, Madrid: Proyeccion peliculas, Ciné en la gruta, 20:30 h, Los baules del retorno (Maria Miró) + Laila (Silvia Munt) Entrada: Gratis hasta completar aforo.
21.11.02, Wien, 19:00 Uhr, Kulturzentrum Villa Windisch-Grätz, Linzerstrasse 452,(erreichbar von Hütteldorf mit den Buslinien 149, 151, 249, Wolfersberg): "Westsahara, ein vergessenes Land Afrikas", Dia-Vortrag von Mag. Noriko Aoyagi (Frau Aoyagi ist japanischer Herkunft und lebt als Kulturjournalistin in Wien. Sie besuchte dreimal sahraouische Flüchtlingslager). Veranstaltet von Österreichische Frauenföderation für Weltfrieden mit Unterstützung Österreich Soka Gakkai International.
22, 23 y 24.11.02, Fuenlabrada (Madrid), Ayuntamiento: VII CONFERENCIA INTERNACIONAL DE SOLIDARIDAD DE OSPAAAL: ¿Guerra o procesos de paz? Palestina, Colombia, Sáhara, otros ... Info: ospsolidaridad@urbs.org /osp@urbs.org
23.11.02, Barcelona , Av. de la Catedral: Festa solidária de difusió de la caravana d'emergéncia d'aliments per al poble sahrauí (As. Catalana D'Amics del Poble Saharaui mailto:acaps@sahara-acaps.org)
Vuelos charter:
03-08.12.02, Vuelo chárter Valladolid (aeropuerto de Villanubla) - Tindouf (Argelia). Para reservas a la delegacion saharaui en Castilla y Leon, delegaciónsaharaui_cyl@wanadoo.es04-09.12.02, Vuelo charter Barcelona- Tindouf. Info: ACAPS-CATALUNYA, secció Vilanova i la Geltru, afont@pie.xtec.es
05.- 09.12.02, Vuelo charter "ARAGÓN CON EL SÁHARA". Info: As. Um Draiga,umdraiga@umdraiga.com
24.-29.01.03, Volo charter Pisa -Tindouf. Info: Ass. Ban Slout Larbi saharawi@libero.it
21.12.02- 04.01.03, Campo di lavoro con bambine e bambini Sahrawi. Info: jaimasahrawi@libero.it
24.02.03 Sahara Marathon : http://www.saharamaraton.org
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