MOROCCO: SEVEN SAHRAWI HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000849

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND DRL/NESCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL MO AG WI
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: SEVEN SAHRAWI HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
CHARGED WITH INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION WITH A FOREIGNER

Classified By: Gregory Thome, Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Seven Sahrawi activists who had participated
in a heavily publicized visit to Algiers and to the Polisario
camps in Tindouf, Algeria, were arrested in Casablanca upon
their return on October 8. The activists were charged with
"intelligence cooperation with a foreign entity" after they
made inflammatory comments about King Mohammed VI, expressed
their support for the Polisario, and participated in a
military parade in what is technically still a war zone under
ceasefire. Moroccan media and civil society expressed
widespread indignation over the behavior of the activists,
while GOM officials expressed deep concern to us privately
that the activists were seeking, in part, to undermine the
recently resumed UN-brokered Western Sahara negotiations.
Other pro-independence human rights activists have confirmed
that, following a brief detention, the seven had been in
contact with their families and lawyers. The Embassy has
received assurances from the Moroccan Government that it will
treat the activists in accordance with human rights norms.
END SUMMARY.

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Seven Arrests
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2. (SBU) Seven Sahrawi human rights activists who had
participated in a controversial visit to the Polisario camps
in Tindouf, Algeria, were immediately arrested by Moroccan
police in Casablanca upon their return on October 8. Those
arrested include: Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane, Rachid
Sghair, Nassiri Hamadi, Yahdih Terrousi, Saleh Loubeihi and
Degja Lechgar (the only woman among the group). All seven of
the Sahrawis are members or heads of various recognized or
unrecognized human rights NGOs. Their pro-Sahara
independence views were generally known but, until recently,
they had mainly focused their activism on legitimate human
rights questions. As importantly, they had always maintained
a distance from the Polisario, knowing that close, overtly
political ties might undermine their legitimacy on human
rights issues. In this way, they had established contacts
with Human Rights Watch and other legitimate human rights
groups, and wide access to the media. This visit to Tindouf
was a stark departure from those practices, and the seven
clearly used their credibility and contacts with the media to
attract a large press presence for their visits in Tindouf,
which they then used to make extremely harsh criticisms of
the GOM. In one press conference, which aired on Algerian
television, they referred to King Mohammed as a "fascist" and
made other highly provocative statements that enraged both
the GOM and most of the Moroccan press.

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GOM Fears Impact on W. Sahara Negotiations
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3. (C) Ambassador Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan MFA Director
General for Multilateral and Global Affairs (and Foreign
Minister Fassi Fihri's Chief of Staff),informed PolCouns
prior to the arrests that the seven would be detained,
although he was unsure at the time what they would be charged
with. The GOM subsequently informed the press that the
individuals would be charged with "intelligence cooperation
with a foreign entity" and brought before a Casablanca court.



4. (C) Bourita explained to PolCouns why the Moroccans were
so incensed by these developments. In addition to the
fascist comment about the King and other rash statements, the
seven held highly publicized meetings with several members of
the "shadow" Polisario government; while their
pro-independence views had been known and tolerated, the GOM
was furious that they had now made such open endorsements of
the Polisario. Moreover, the Polisario organized festivities
for the group that included an actual military parade
complete with men in uniform and tanks (he showed PolCouns
photos that the seven had apparently released to their press
contacts). Bourita viewed this as a tremendous provocation
and quite likely a violation of the cease-fire that is still
in effect in an area that remains, technically, a war zone.
He also expressed concerns that the seven intended to turn
their visit into a publicity stunt that would provoke a
negative impact on new UN Special Representative Ross,s
effort to revitalize Western Sahara negotiations by
increasing Polisario and/or Algerian intransigence.

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Human Rights Respected
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5. (C) In the past, authorities have been known to mistreat
Sahrawi activists, especially when they engage in overtly
political activities that the GOM considers dangerous to its
interests. However, in the case of these arrests, our
contacts expressed confidence that their rights would be
respected. Ahmed Herzenni, President of Consultative
Commission on Human Rights (CCDH) told PolOffs that, "as a
citizen," he considered the activists, behavior extremely
unpatriotic and even treasonous. However, from a human
rights standpoint, he said he was absolutely sure none of
them would be harmed, due to both their positions and the
extensive media coverage they were receiving. Separately,
Brahim Sabbar, Secretary General of the Sahrawie Association
of Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights (ASVDH),told
PolOffs that the activists had been in contact with their
families and with their lawyers. And even before they were
arrested, Bourita reassured PolCouns that the seven would not
be mistreated.


6. (C) COMMENT: In recent years, the GOM has made
significant progress both in tolerating public "questioning
of Morocco,s territorial integrity" (local code for
advocating Saharan independence) and in permitting Sahrawi
separatists to travel abroad and voice their opinions.
However, in this case the seven activists clearly went well
beyond the Moroccans, slowly widening comfort zone. One of
the seven, Ali Salem Tamek, told us privately several weeks
ago that he intended to "get arrested" as a means of pushing
the envelope, and this most recent provocation had truly
touched a nerve. At this point, the GOM has remained well
within its obligations in terms of respecting the seven
activists, human rights, and we remain confident that there
will be no mistreat. What remains to be seen is how this
incident might affect what has been a growing Moroccan
tolerance in terms of Sahrawi freedom of expression and
movement. END COMMENT.


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