Front Line is extremely concerned to learn today that human rights defender Ms Aminatou Haidar has been expelled from Western Sahara and deported to the Canary Islands following her arbitrary arrest on 13 November 2009 at Laayoune airport. Moroccan authorities held her for nearly 22 hours before sending her to Spain.

Further Information

"Front Line is calling on the Moroccan authorities to immediately lift the ban on Aminatou Haidar returning to Western Sahara and to end the ongoing harassment and intimidation of Sahrawi human rights defenders pursuing their legitimate work for human rights”, said Front Line Director Mary Lawlor In Dublin today.

Aminatou Haidar has a distinguished record as a human rights defender and has been arrested and sentenced to two previous prison terms for her human rights work. She attended the Front Line Dublin platform in 2007 and in 2008 was the recipient of the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Laureate in recognition of her work.

Ms. Haidar was returning to Western Sahara after a visit to the United States to receive the Civil Courage Prize awarded by the Train Foundation “for her courageous defense of the rights and liberties of the Sahrawi people”.

Around midnight of the 13-14 November, Moroccan authorities reportedly attempted to press Aminatou Haidar, in the presence of her family, to recognise Moroccan authority in Western Sahara by completing an airport arrival form indicating her nationality as Moroccan. When she refused to do so, she was told that she would not be allowed to return home, and was sent to Spain, after Moroccan authorities seized her passport. She has since refused to leave the Guecameta airport in Lanzarote and has stated her intention to begin a hunger strike in protest from midnight on 15-16 November.

Front Line has repeatedly expressed its concern at the travel restrictions imposed by Moroccan authorities upon other Sahrawi human rights defenders in recent weeks. On 9 October 2009, Ms Sultana Khaya was prevented from travelling to Spain at the airport of Laayoune after her passport, ID card and Spanish residency document were confiscated by the authorities.

In October 2009, a group of five Sahrawi human rights defenders were stopped while attempting to travel legally to Mauritania. The authorities confiscated their passports and ID cards, and drove them back to Dakhla.

On 8 October 2009, seven human rights defenders from Western Sahara were arrested at Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco, allegedly by Moroccan security agents.

The group of arrested defenders include Ali Salem Tamek, first Vice-President of the Saharawi Collective of Human Rights Defenders (CODESA); Brahim Dahane, President of the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights (ASVDH); Ahmad Anasiri, General Secretary of the Saharawi Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Smara; Yahdih Ettarrouzi; Saleh Lebayhi, President of the Forum for the Protection of Saharawi Children; Dagja Lachgar, and Rachid Sghayar. They had been travelling from Alhawari Boumedyan Airport in Algeria.

Given their continued incommunicado detention Front Line is concerned at the risk of torture and the fact that they face the risk of long prison sentences after trial before a military court which would deny them their due right to a fair trial.

“Front Line believes the restrictions against Aminatou Haidar and other Saharawi activists is directly related to their entirely legitimate work in the defence of human rights. Front Line is extremely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Aminatou Haidar and the other Sahrawi human rights defenders currently in detention.” said Ms Lawlor

For further information contact Jim Loughran, Head of Communications Front Line +353 1 212 37 50