Jurists call to extend MINURSO mandate to include human rights monitoring mechanism

International jurists and experts underlined Monday in Brussels the necessity to include human rights monitoring mechanism in the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

Gathered on Monday at the European Parliament, these experts also underlined the importance to grant the Sahrawi people the freedom to use their natural resources.

Jurists from the occupied territories of Western Sahara, Spain, Great Britain, France, Algeria and several other countries sounded the alarm on the situation of the Sahrawi people living in the occupied territories.

They spoke in a conference on “human rights and respect of the international legality in Western Sahara,” organized by the International Commission of Jurists with the support of the left-wing group of the Western Sahara intergroup at the European

Parliament.

Their speeches on the Moroccan policy were unanimous. Several examples of summary executions, disappearance, torture, intimidations as well as arbitrary arrests were cited on this occasion.(SPS)