Saharawi hunger strikers in serious conditiion

map In the 51st day of their hunger strike, the health condition of the Saharawi political prisoners is rapidly deteriorating.
 According to the Saharawi citizen Said Amidan, his brother Cheikh and Bachri Bentaleb have been transferred to the prison infirmary after having lost conscience on several occasions

They both carry on a hunger strike since May 20, 2011 and their families who visit them are most concerned

   In El Aaiún. Yesterday, Saharawi citizens and human rights defenders expressed their solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike at a meeting that took place in the     home of the family of the political prisoner Cheik Amidan.

   The participants have denounced and condemned the lack of respect for the rights of the prisoners and denounced that the occupation authorities did not take into consideration the prisoners’ requests.   The participants declared that it was incumbent upon the United Nations to assume its responsibilities as far as the human rights situation in Western Sahara is concerned.   This day, Monday morning, July 11, dozens of Saharawi citizens have demonstrated their solidarity with the prisoners on Smara Avenue by chanting political slogans such as:   “Morocco of marginalization, Morocco of exploitation, We are a generation for the independence and the victory”.   There was another wanton aggression by the Moroccan authorities before the secret prison PC.CMI   On Friday, July 8, the Saharawi citizen Yahia Mahmoud was wounded due to a violent aggression by elements of the auxiliary forces in the occupied city of El Aaiún. Yahia Mahmoud, aged 30, employed at the cleaning service belonging to "the national promotion”, was attacked without prior notice by agents of the auxiliary forces when he was sweeping up a sidewalk near the secret detention centre P-C.CMI.   The attack caused him injuries to the head and back. He had to be transported to the hospital of the occupied city.   It should be remembered that, four years ago, the occupation authorities started the decommissioning of the unit “Rapid Intervention Force”, which included the presidium P-C.CMI. This manoeuvre was intended to put an end to the actions of the so-called group “la misión” (“the mission”). In 1987, this group of young Saharawi had shown sympathy for the independence of Western Sahara on the occasion of the coming of "the mission" of the United Nations. They were then kidnapped by the Moroccan colonial authorities, and disappeared until 1991, held in secret prison PC.CMI. Among them, Ms. Haidar, Elghalia Djimi, Brahim Dahan, El Kanti Balla, who are always advocates for human rights respect. The destruction of the secret detention center PC.CMI, scene of many tortures, and suspicious and violent deaths was denounced by organizations and human rights groups because it was the implementation of the confiscation of the collective memory of the sufferings of Saharawi people.