Morocco: Aminatou Haidar must be allowed to go home

Aminatou Haidar

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) expresses deep concern with regard to the situation of Ms. Aminatou Haidar, a human rights activist who has been prevented from returning to Laayoun by the Moroccan government and has been detained illegally in Spain. She has been on a hunger strike for more than three weeks.

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Aminatou Haidar has been imprisoned by the Moroccan authorities on several occasions for participating in demonstrations for the defense of the Sahrawi people. She was the victim of expulsion on November 13th, 2009 as her passport had been seized because she had written “Sahrawin” as her nationality on the said document.

Despite the illegality of her expulsion to the Spanish island of Lanzarote, and the fact that she had no passport, the Spanish government accepted her entry to Spain – thus implicitly endorsing the Moroccan government’s decision to prevent Aminatou Haidar from returning to her home in Laayoun where her family lives. Following her expulsion, she immediately began a hunger strike, which has now lasted for more than three weeks and which is seriously affecting her state of health. Ms. Aminatou Haidar’s return by a plane which had been made available by Spain was announced on December 4th, but the Moroccan authorities finally communicated a ban on landing at Laayoun, forcing the medical team to take Ms. Haidar back inside Lanzarote airport.

The EMHRN condemns the attitude of the Moroccan authorities which constitutes an infringement of the international commitments of this country – in particular Articles 9 and 13, paragraphs 2 and 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The EMHRN requests that the Moroccan authorities immediately authorize Ms. Haidar’s return and guarantee respect and protection of her safety & her physical and psychic integrity and that of her family, both during her return trip home and afterwards.

The EMHRN requests the Spanish government not to accept the illegal situation created by the Moroccan authorities and requests that it acts in favor of Ms. Haidar’s return to her country. The EMHRN urges the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the European Union to take determined steps in order to help to resolve this crisis as quickly as possible.