About 200 agents of Moroccan police and paramilitary forces surrounded the house and adjacent streets of Ahmed Ettanji, President of Équipe Média, in the neighbourhood of Lahohoum, in the center of El Aaiun. Ahmed Ettanji was getting married, and the police terrorised his relatives and friends and prevented guests to join his wedding and put him under house arrest, threatening him with detention and forced entry.
This repression was supposedly due to prevent COVID-19 ,but Ettanji was celebrating his wedding according to the special measures that respect the social distance as accepted internationally, and following the Moroccan rules that apply to settlers.
Similar forces surrounded the house of Nezha El Khalidi, the bride, member of Équipe Média board, and they terrified their guests and prevented others to join them although they wore masks and respected the social distance.
This blockade is one more proof of Moroccan state’s intention to target Saharawi journalists and Human Rights activists that has increased after the breach of the cease-fire by Morocco against Saharawis.
Accordingly, Équipe Média calls upon United Nations to assume its full responsibilities towards the direct threats to which Saharawi civilians, and particularly journalists and Saharawi activists are exposed to.
We call upon the French and Spanish governments as Rabat’s allies and sponsors to intervene and stop the crimes against humanity committed by the Moroccan militia and police.
We also call upon the International Red Cross, Reporters without Borders and the Committee for the Protection of Journalists to defend our journalists.
Journalism is not a crime.
Equipe Media
El Aaiun Occupied Western Sahara
November 22 2020
#WesternSahara #Polisario #Morocco
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