Aminatou Haidar denounce in Spain’s High Court "systematic" tortures by Morocco in Sahara
EFE – Madrid 13/03/2013
[unofficial translation by Rep. Sahrawi European Union- original text here]
Aminatou Haidar, the human rights activist, today has provided testimony in Spain’s High Court in the case of genocide in Western Sahara that is taking place in this court and has denounced “systematic” torture and kidnapping by Morocco against "the Saharawi people".
"I was able to give specific and updated data about the systematic tortures and kidnappings committed by Morocco with the aim to discriminate and eliminate all the Saharawi people," said the activist.
Haidar made the following statements after appearing in the mentioned court, in the exit of that courthouse, a group of Sahrawi activists dressed with scarves and traditional Sahrawi clothes where waiting for her, and cried out for slogans in favour of their cause, besides the traditional Saharawi clamours.
"Morocco guilty, Spain responsible" and "Long live to the struggle of the Saharawi people" were among the slogans shouted by the activists.
The National Court Judge Pablo Ruz had called her as a witness in the open proceedings in 2007 by his predecessor, Baltasar Garzon, for crimes of genocide and tortures in Western Sahara.
The cause of genocide and tortures, allegedly committed in Western Sahara from 1976 to 1987, was initiated from a complaint against thirteen Moroccan officials regarding the disappearance of hundreds of Sahrawis.
Haidar has broadened the allegations to other human rights violations committed between 1987 and 1991 and even said that human rights violations still ongoing, as declared to the media. "I bear witness and I am a direct victim of some of the facts contained in the complaint. Some of those responsible still remain in their high level positions in Morocco, among them there is one who ordered the violent military assault to a Sahrawi camp" and also "my detention and torture, in 2005, as a human rights activist, " she stated.
"I do not have much confidence that Morocco will collaborate", but "justice must be done" against those senior Moroccan Government officials responsible for being "involved in daily violations against the Saharawi people," she added.
"I hope justice will be done, I trust in the High Court and Judge Pablo Ruz,” has added before remembering that Spain "remains the administering power of Western Sahara and has the responsibility to condemn those responsible for these crimes."
The main senior Moroccan Government officials whom Garzón agreed to investigate are Housni Ben Sliman, who allegedly ordered and directed the campaign of arrests and subsequent disappearances in Smara in 1976, and Abdelhafid Ben Hachem, allegedly responsible for the hostages in 1987 in Laayoune and supervisor of interrogations under torture.
Ben Hachem is also accused of kidnapping Djimi El Ghalia, November 20 1987, which gave the "order to torture her".
It also stand out Said Ouassou, directly alleged responsible of all arrests of Saharawi citizens in Laayoune between 1976 and 1978; Abdelhak Lemdaour, alleged responsible person and leader of a major campaign of arrests; Moustafa Hamdaoui, leader of the gendarmerie headquarter in Tan Tan in 1981 and Dris Sbai, who allegedly directed the operations of kidnappings and tortures.
The complaint against these soldiers was presented December 14 2006 by associations that give support to the Saharawi people and human rights, which amounted to 542 the number of Sahrawi disappeared since 1975.
According to the complaint, after that year, when Spain left Western Sahara, Morocco occupied the territory "by a bloody and slaughter war against the Saharawi people that lasted 16 years," and details how the Moroccan Army conducted "kidnapping, imprisonment and disappearance" of hundreds of Sahrawis, most of them with Spanish nationality, between 1975 and 1980.
