PRESS POST
A new series of decisions by the United Nations Committee Against Torture confirms that Moroccan authorities used torture and ill-treatment against Sahrawi political prisoners from the Gdeim Izik group to extract confessions later used in court proceedings.
The rulings concern detainees including Hassan Dah, Ahmed Sbaï, Mohamed Lamine Haddi, and Sidi Ahmed Lemjiyed — some of whom have been imprisoned for more than 15 years following the dismantling of the Gdeim Izik protest camp in Western Sahara in 2010.
According to the Committee, Morocco failed to:
• conduct impartial investigations into torture allegations
• prevent the use of confessions obtained under coercion
• guarantee fair trial standards
• ensure detainees’ rights to legal defense and rehabilitation
The UN body also described the lack of investigations compliant with the Istanbul Protocol as a “structural problem,” raising serious concerns about judicial and security practices in cases involving Sahrawi activists.
Human rights organizations and international lawyers behind the complaints say these decisions represent a major legal and political turning point in the international recognition of abuses committed against Sahrawi prisoners.
They are now calling for:
✔ independent investigations into torture allegations
✔ annulment of convictions based on coerced confessions
✔ immediate release of the Gdeim Izik prisoners
✔ respect for fair trial guarantees and detainees’ rights
The statement was issued by the League for the Protection of Sahrawi Political Prisoners, lawyers from France and Italy, and organizations including AARASD and ACAT-France.
Source : ACAT France, 26 mai 2026
#Western_Sahara #Polisario_Front #Morocco #ACAT_France #repression_human_rights
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