“Allegations of egregious human rights violations taking place in Western Sahara demand international attention and require serious investigation and remedy. The UN should expand MINURSO’s mandate,” said Kerry Kennedy. “Reports of torture in detention, medical negligence towards ailing prisoners, unmonitored landmine blasts, forcible dispersal of peaceful protests, and constraints on entry and travel within the region cannot be left unaddressed.”
In addition, during the time period covered by this report, an anonymous individual began releasing hundreds of Moroccan diplomatic cables via Twitter. The leaked cables show Morocco engaging in improper activity at the United Nations with the apparent aim of preventing the expansion of MINURSO’s mandate to include human rights monitoring. The UN has said that it is conducting an investigation into the matter.
“The information presented in the cables is serious and demands serious attention. The ongoing UN investigation must examine the question of whether questionable actions taken by Morocco and UN staff prevented the expansion of the mandate,” continued Kerry Kennedy.
In the period of time covered by this report, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights identified nearly 90 separate instances of human rights violations, many involving multiple victims. Most abuses are violations of the right to arbitrary arrest, the right to freedom of assembly, and the right to freedom of movement. There are instances, however, of physical mistreatment and torture, landmine injuries and death, and death while in detention. Taken as a whole, the frequency and nature of the abuses paints a grim picture of the human rights situation in Western Sahara.
Read the full article and download the report here: http://rfkcenter.org/new-robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-report-highlights-abuses-against-sahrawi-people-in-western-sahara
