HUMAN RIGHTS DAY SIT-IN IN LAAYOUNE ATTACKED BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 002252 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PBTS MO SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY SIT-IN IN LAAYOUNE ATTACKED BY POLICE REF: A. RABAT 00616 ¶B. RABAT 01983 Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) To commemorate International Human Rights Day, the Sahrawi Association for Grave Human Rights Abuses (ASVDH), held a sit-in in Laayoune on December 10. The ASVDH stated that they had received the appropriate Government of Morocco (GOM) approvals, i.e., notification of an event 48 hours in advance, prior to the approximately seventy individuals participating in the demonstration. ¶2. (SBU) According to the December 11 ASVDH daily newsletter, Brahim Dahane (president),Elghalia Djimi (vice president),Hmad Hammad (activist) and Mohamed Saleh Daillal (member of ASVDH) were beaten. The ASVDH believes that these members were intentionally attacked by the police. Several were arrested but subsequently released. Unconfirmed press reports indicate that the police charged the demonstrators when they unfurled Polisario flags. ¶3. (C/NOFORN) In telephone calls to the polcouns the evening of December 10, Dahan and other human rights activists informed him that the police (Surete-Intervention Rapide) beat some of the demonstrators and approximately six were arrested. They alleged that Surete officers Bahri Hamid and Ischi Abu Hassan were among those doing the beating. ¶4. (C) The Sahrawi activists called back December 11 to report that while injuries were enough to require medical attention, no one was hospitalized and no one remained under care. They also conveyed that Dahan's home, among others, had been circled by police, who were checking visitors. ¶5. (C) We plan to raise our concern about this with the authorities. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley