Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

Your Majesty

Human rights defender, Mr Ennaama Asfari, has been subjected to a physical assault and arrested on 14 August 2009 in Tan-Tan, Southern Morocco.

He was brought before the court in Tan-Tan on 17 August 2009 and was accused of “insulting an official employee”. His trial has been adjourned until 24 August 2009. Ennaama Asfari is the co-president of the Comité pour le respect des libertés et des droits humains au Sahara occidental - CORELSO (Committee for the respect of liberties and human rights in the Western Sahara).

Previously on 28 April 2008 he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and fined 3,000 Dirhams at a trial from which international observers had been expelled.

On 14 August 2009, Ennaama Asfari was arrested at a police checkpoint 20 km from Tan-Tan, following an argument with a policeman who checked his identification and then tried to force him to remove a Sahrawi flag from his key chain. Ennaama Asfari was reportedly ill-treated and physically assaulted during the arrest and his eye glasses were broken.

Ennaama Asfari has reportedly been followed and harassed by the Moroccan police since his participation in a conference on Western Sahara in Algeria in July 2009.

I believe that Ennaama Asfari has been targeted and harassed because of his work in defense of human rights especially of the Sahrawi people. Front Line is concerned for the security and physical and psychological integrity of Ennaama Asfari while in detention.

I call upon the authorities in Morocco to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release Ennaama Asfari, as it is believed that he is being targeted solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful work in the defense of human rights;

2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the arrest and targeting of Ennaama Asfari;

3. Ensure that the treatment of Ennaama Asfari, while in detention, adheres to all those conditions set out in the ’Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment,’ adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988, and grant him immediate access to his lawyer and family;

4. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological security and integrity of Ennaama Asfari;

5. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Morocco and Western Sahara are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including arbitrary detention and judicial harassment.

Yours sincerely