Pro-Saharawi activist Ali Salem Tamek

afrol News, 8 January - Around 25 political prisoners, including Ali Salem Tamek, Ali Lmrabet and 11 Saharawi prisoners, were released today after they were pardoned by King Mohammed VI yesterday. Human rights groups and the exiled Saharawi government hail their release.

Along with the prominent Moroccan editor, Ali Lmrabet, 11 Saharawi political prisoners were included in the royal pardon given yesterday. Among the released were Ali Salem Tamek, a prominent advocate of the self-determination of the people of Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.

Mr Tamek, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment on 24 October 2002, "on breach of national security charges," last year was granted a political prisoner status after several hunger strikes and threatening to self-immolate by setting himself on fire.

The activist of Moroccan origin has been a prominent member of the Western Sahara branch of the Forum for Truth and Justice. Mr Tamek was sentenced to prison for his stated belief that Western Sahara should be an independent state and over allegations of having received funds from the Saharawi independence movement, Polisario. He has been in the focus of international human rights organisations.

Tens of other Saharawi civil society activists were the subject of harassment and intimidation by the Moroccan authorities last year, according to Amnesty International. Many of those were members of the Western Sahara branch of the Forum for Truth and Justice, which was forbidden by Moroccan authorities.

Some, but not all, of these Saharawi activists were released today, after having served prison sentences under harsh conditions, many being subjected to heavy torture.

The Moroccan move to free these Saharawi political prisoners today was welcomed by the Polisario-led Western Sahara exile government. Polisario Minister for the Occupied Territories, Khalil Sidi M'Hamed, today told the local press agency, SPS, he was pleased with the release of the 12 activists.

While congratulating "these activists on freedom" and their families for having them back, the Saharawi Minister however made a point of recalling the other Saharawi activist still remaining in Moroccan hands.

Mr M'Hamed says there are more than 500 "disappeared" Saharawis and 150 Saharawi prisoners of war in Morocco, something that is being denied by Moroccan authorities. The Saharawi Minister called on Morocco to help these individuals to "find the way of freedom."

Also Amnesty International, which has been appealing for the release of all political prisoners in Morocco - has welcomed King Mohammed's move. The group called the pardon of the 25 prisoners a "significant step in the right direction."

- It is the first royal pardon since 2001 to include political prisoners, Amnesty said in a statement. "We hope that the Moroccan authorities will take further measures by addressing, as a matter of urgency, the dozens of outstanding cases of political prisoners detained after conviction in unfair trials," the group however added.

Moroccan authorities were asked to deal with the dozens of outstanding cases of political prisoners. Some of these were sentenced in the 1980s and 1990s, but the vast majority were "imprisoned after unfair trials last year on suspicion of planning or inciting violent acts attributed to Islamists, such as the May 2003 attacks in Casablanca," Amnesty said. Many of those sentenced had allegedly been tortured in custody."

By staff writers

© afrol News

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