~SAHRAWI HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCAY ASSOCIATION PROTESTS REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERS RELEASE ~

[HOUDA-K]

Morocco, Politics, 2/7/2005

The Sahrawi human rights advocacy association {ASADEDH} expressed on Saturday "astonishment" and "indignation" over a "reporters sans frontiers" release saying that pro-government news media in Morocco are waging a campaign to disparage journalist Ali Lmrabet.

ASADEH describes the release as partial for it failed to mention its point of view regarding the demonstrations held by several Sahrawi non-governmental organizations to oppose the press reports by Journalist Ali Lamrabet claiming that populations in the Tindouf camps {(southern Algeria} enjoy freedom of movement.

"Both Lamrabet and {Abdelhamid} Amine {chairman of the Moroccan human rights association} have omitted in their remarks the forgotten victims of the Sahara conflict," says the association which cites the case of hundreds of prisoners of opinion and people reported missing.

The French association has also omitted to report that the demos, held on Feb.3, were not only meant to protest the two men's statements, but also "the silence of the (Moroccan) parliament, political parties and the government over the fate of these forgotten victims of the conflict."

RSF bias leads us to thinks that "it is actually a campaign to delay truth unveiling and to gag once against the voice of Polisario victims, says the association which expresses strong support to the protest movements held in Rabat in front of the communication ministry, the parliament and the AMDH office.

ASADEH also reports that the French organization has asked for the opinion of its chairman, Ramdan Mesaud Larbi, on the Rabat demonstrations but did not quote him in its release.

"At a time, the (RSF) release denounces the Moroccan national TV channels and newspapers for not getting Lamrabet's viewpoint, RSF is censuring our opinion and only highlights the opinion of a person who has nothing to do with the Sahara, nor with the Sahrawis, and who represents only himself and a ghost association, ASADEDH further deplores.

"Our association strongly deplores and denounces the exploitation of our suffering and the suffering of missing people and of prisoners held in the Tindouf camps. Lamrabet, whom we thought was a freedom of expression advocate, is actually blackmailing his country's authorities.

On behalf of the victims of the Polisario abuses, the association calls anew for shedding light on the fate of hundreds of missing persons in the cells of the Polisario mercenaries.

[HOUDA-K]

Morocco, Politics, 2/1/2005

Members of a dozen of Sahrawi associations have strongly denounced the recent statements of the journalist Ali Lamrabet as "very offensive," an insult to the memory of the people who sacrificed their lives for the dignity of the country and a profanation of the graves of the brave and valiant soldiers of the Royal Armed Forces who died in the field of honour in the service of the homeland.

In a joint communique, the associations stressed that the best evidence of Ali Lamrabet's clear intention to harm his country and his people, is his visit to Tindouf camps "where thousands of our brothers, whose only aspiration is to return to their families in the Moroccan Sahara, are held against their will, and where 410 members of the Royal Armed Forces are still held captive in contempt of law."

The best illustration of his treason is his dubious testimony on an alleged liberty of movement in these camps, while this place consists in reality of huge pieces of land organized in the shape of a penitentiary with sentinels and watchtowers, the associations said.

"Those among us who managed to flee this cursed place to return to homeland, Morocco, have defied death. They were aware of this fact. Many of them paid the price with their lives È, said the associations.

The communiquŽ went on to say that using his natural skill for invective, Lamrabet recently announced again his intention to edit a publication, pointing out with a highly provocative wisecrack that it will be funded by the "Polisario and former Algerian military security.

Such heinous statements, made on purpose, necessitate an appropriate reaction from Moroccan authorities, in such a way as to make the antidote match the harm sustained, the associations said adding that "however, we members of the afore-mentioned associations have noticed that public authorities have deserted this field, leaving this person defile with impunity our patriotic values and our honour. They have kept an incomprehensible, even guilty silence, which we deplore."

The associations said they "do not understand neither the absence of a reaction from representatives of the people who are gathered in the two parliament chambers, nor the passivity of political parties and the civil society in all its components."

"The Sahara question is an issue that concerns the whole nation. Defending it is a national duty which no one can evade," they stressed.

"Our people can only exist as part of a comprehensive dignity. It is in this spirit that we urge the country's authorities and political forces to react as firmly as it is required by these circumstances," the associations said.

The organisations urged the international community to assume its full responsibility to open the Tindouf camps and lift the siege imposed on the Sahrawis in the Algerian territory.

"In face of these insults that undermine our honour and offend the memory of our martyrs, the latest of whom died as soon as he went out of the horrors of Tindouf camps, we commit to use all the legal means we have to make our voice heard, the associations concluded.

Lamrabet was criticised lately by journalist Bellahi Khalifa, who said he felt pity for him when he interviewed Mohamed Abdelaziz, that so perfectly carries out his mission of a jailer and "serves the orders of his masters with eagerness."

In a letter, published by the national press, Bellahi, former detainee in Polisario prisons, wondered how Lamrabet can come up with the idea that "my brothers, cousins and my tribe members are not sequestrated and are not under siege in the camps of Tindouf?"

The journalist wondered whether Lamrabet's "phenomenal intelligence" enabled him to reach this idea in a very short of time, for one doubts he could effectively meet the sequestrated people in such a short time and get information from them.

Bellahi said Lamrabet's refuting the existence of the siege and the sequestration "of our brothers in the Tindouf camps is a sheer lie, a false testimony made in premeditation and motivated by hatred, rancour and the desire to fool the world."