Protest the arrest of human rights defenders

On October 8 2009, seven human rights activists from Western Sahara were arrested in the Mohamed V airport in Casablanca, Morocco, allegedly by Morroccan security authorities. The activists are now under military arrest and will be brought before the Moroccan military court sometime in the near future, according to the Moroccan government.

Africa Contact have sent a letter - protesting the arrest and demanding the release of the activists - to Morocco's king Mohamed. You'll find the letter at bottom of this page.

The following organisations have signed the letter:
1. FOA - Fag og Arbejde, Denmark
2. Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance), Denmark
3. Internationalt Forum, Denmark
4. Afrika Kontakt, Denmark
5. Western Sahara Support Committee, Denmark
6. Horlemann Verlag, Germany
7. Kritische Ökologie/ifak e.V. (Critical Ecology/Institute for Applied Cultural Research), Germany
8. Solidariteitsgroep Westelijke Sahara (Solidarity Group for Western Sahara), Belgium
9. Free Western Sahara Network, international
10. Bundesausschuss Friedensratschlag (Federal Committee Peace Counsel), Germany
11. The Swedish Western Sahara Committee, Sweden
12. Zentrum für Europäische und Orientalische Kultur e.V. (ZEOK), Germany
13. Solidarity Movenment for the Independence of Western Sahara, Nigeria chapter
14. SJJA (Sahara Japan Journalist Association), Japan
15. CODESA (Organization of the defenders Sahrawi human rights), Western Sahara
16, APSO (Amis du Peuple du Sahara Occidental, et réseau sud), France
17. Socialistisk Ungdomsfronts Internationale Gruppe, Denmark
18. ARSO (Association pour un référendum libre te régulier au Sahara Occidental), Switzerland
19. UPES (The Saharawi Union of Journalists and Writers), Western Sahara
20. UJS (Union of the Saharawi Jurists), Western Sahara
21. GEZA (Gemeinnützige Entwicklungszusammenarbeit GmbH), Austria
22. Western Sahara Campaign UK, England
23. Asociación do Pequeno Comercio da Pobra do Caramiñal, Spain
24. Centre Sahraoui pour la Conservation de la Memoire Collective, Western Sahara
25. Comité Sahraoui pour la Defense aux Droits de l'Homme à Smara, Western Sahara
26. Le Comité contre la torture Dakhla, Western Sahara
27. PSPC (Saharawi Forum for protecting the children in Western Sahara), Western Sahara
28. ASVDH (Association Sahraouie des Victimes des Violations Graves des Droits Humains Commises par l'Etat Marocain), Western Sahara
29. Verein Freunde des Sahrauischen Volkes Basel, Germany
30: The Committee for the Sahrawis whose documents are confiscated and banned from travel, Western Sahara
31. Comité suisse de soutien au peuple Sahraoui, Switzerland
32. Liberal Women, Sweden
33. ELDH (European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights), Germany
34. BUPL (The Danish National Federation of Early Childhood Teachers and Youth Educators), Denmark
35. SAIH (The Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance Fund), Norway
36. Asociación de veciños S. Roque da Pobra do Caramiñal, Spain
37. Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, Norway

Individual signatories:
Helena Bargholtz, member of Parliament, Liberal People's Party, Sweden
Holger Gustafsson, member of Parliament, Christian Democrats, Sweden
Mildred Thulin, Sweden