UPDATE ON CONDITIONS IN LAAYOUNE AND SEVEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000041

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/NESCA AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2020
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI WI MO
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON CONDITIONS IN LAAYOUNE AND SEVEN
ARRESTED SAHRAWI ACTIVISTS

REF: A. USUN 0020

B. RABAT 0849

C. RABAT 0990

D. RABAT 0977

E. RABAT 0971

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


1. (SBU) Summary: Throughout late December and early
January, PolOff met with various Sahrawi and human rights
activists to confirm that the seven Sahrawis arrested in
Casablanca in October (Ref B) who were placed in the Sale
prison near Rabat are no longer in solitary confinement and
are enjoying improving prison conditions. Our Sahrawi
contacts also provided an update on the atmosphere in
Laayoune since Aminatou Haidar's return (Ref C). Our
contacts report a significant security presence around
Haidar's neighborhood, as well as checkpoints on Haidar's
street, limiting circulation to those who live or work in the
area. Until she departed for medical treatment in Spain on
January 20, access to Haidar had been limited to relatives.
Moroccan security services appear to have been keeping tabs
on Haidar's movements at all times. There was one instance
soon after Haidar's return when teenagers hoisted up the
Polisario flag; yet police seem to have been warned by local
authorities to act with caution and were able to dispel the
situation without violence. End Summary.


2. (C) In separate meetings with El Ghalia Djimi,
Vice-President of the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave
Human Rights Violations (ASVDH); another Sahrawi activist and
long-time embassy contact; and Khadija Marouazi (Strictly
Protect),Secretary-General of the NGO Mediator For Democracy
and Human Rights (MediateurDDH),PolOff learned that the
seven Sahrawis arrested in Casablanca on October 8 have been
removed from solitary confinement and placed in normal prison
cells. PolOff was also informed of improving prison
conditions for the seven and of the current atmosphere in
Laayoune since the return of Sahrawi activist Haidar.

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Prison Conditions and Access
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3. (SBU) During their December trip to Laayoune),PolCouns
and PolOff learned from ASVDH and CODESA members of Degja
Lachgar's deteriorating mental state due to her placement in
solitary confinement. Lachgar was the only female arrested
for her involvement in the October trip to Tindouf. During a
follow-up December 30 meeting with Djimi in Rabat, PolOff
heard further details of Lachgar's mental situation. Djimi
was visiting Rabat from Laayoune with the express hope of
visiting the seven and had earlier that day received verbal
confirmation from prison authorities that she would be
permitted to visit with both Lachgar and Ali Salem Tamek,
Vice-President of Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights
Defenders (CODESA). (Note: Haidar is the President of
CODESA. End Note.) Djimi also described how various family
members of the seven prisoners had complained that during
past visits, prisoners were separated from each other by a
metal mesh and had not been left alone during their short
15-minute visits. Djimi later informed PolOff that during
January exchanges, family meetings had become less formal in
rooms where prisoners could physically interact with their
visitors. Family members have also been able to take the
prisoners food, hotplates to cook their food with, and
newspapers on a regular basis. (Note: Prisons do provide
meals three times a day, but the quality of the food is very
low. End Note.)


4. (C) Marouazi, a friend of Djimi's, met with PolOff on
January 8 to share details of her visit to the prison in
Sale. Marouazi and her NGO's focus with the seven Sahrawis
has primarily been on the medical condition of Lachgar. On
January 4, Marouazi accompanied Lachgar's sister and two
doctors to the Sale prison in order to produce a medical
report. They were allowed to meet in the office of the
director of the Sale prison for over three and a half hours,
during which time the doctors concluded that Lachgar is
suffering from mental stress.


5. (C) PolOff questioned why the solitary confinement was
considered necessary by security forces and Marouazi
clarified that when Lachgar had initially been placed in
prison, she had been very vocal about her pro-separatist
views. Many of the female Moroccan prisoners were offended
by her, as the majority of Moroccans believe that Western
Sahara is a part of Morocco. For her safety, prison
officials moved her to solitary confinement. Later, Lacghar

is said to have requested being placed with other Sahrawi
inmates. Marouazi and Djimi joked with Lacghar during a
visit that the only way that would be possible would be if
Djimi were to get herself arrested. Soon after Marouazi's
visit with the doctors, Lacghar was moved from solitary
confinement to a cell with five other female prisoners. All
reports indicate that Lacghar's mental and physical condition
has begun to improve. However, human rights and Sahrawi
activists are hoping that her medical reports might help her
receive an early release.


6. (C) Noting PolOff's surprise that a non-family member had
visited a politically sensitive prisoner, Marouazi clarified
that legally both family and friends are allowed to visit
prisoners. She noted that though Moulay Hafidh Benhachem,
the Delegate General or Head of the Prison Administration,
has not been very receptive to civil society involvement with
prison administration, he is flexible with NGOs with which he
has built rapport. She noted that there are NGOs in Morocco
who "make a lot of noise", and then there are NGOs that like
to focus on the small concrete steps that can improve
people's lives; she expressed her desire to focus on the
latter. She explained that she often refuses interviews with
the media in the hopes of not arousing mistrust or anger from
prison officials. Marouazi apparently had her first personal
exchange with Benhachem in a three hour meeting yesterday to
discuss Lachgar's medical condition and next steps she hopes
to see after her submission of the medical report to the
Ministry of Justice.


7. (U) This same week, Benhachem released statistics
indicating that about 20,100 visits were paid to Moroccan
jails in 2009; 900 by the judiciary authorities and 600 by
NGO's and associations. Regional and local committees,
headed by governors are said to have paid 30 visits to
penitentiaries. Benhachem went on to clarify that they are
managing between 55,000 and 60,000 inmates nationwide and
that the budget amount per inmate was just increased to 15
Dirham (2 USD) per day; this amount covers food, medical
care, and utilities. However, Benhachem complained that
water and electricity costs are putting stress on the budget
as prisoners insist on having individual electric heaters and
hotplates.

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Atmosphere in Laayoune
--------------


8. (SBU) Djimi's statements confirmed previous reports by a
long-time embassy contact that things have remained calm
since Haidar's return. Both activists reported a spontaneous
gathering of people the night of Haidar's return and noted
the significant security presence around Haidar's
neighborhood. They also reported the establishment of
checkpoints onto Haidar's street, limiting circulation to
those who live or work in the area. Haidar's house is
located in a populated part of Laayoune next to various small
shops and Djimi noted that some business owners have been
upset by the disruption to their businesses. There was one
incident soon after Haidar's return when teenagers hoisted
the Polisario flag; yet police seem to have been warned by
local authorities to act with caution and were able to dispel
the situation without usage of violence; jostling and shoving
was also reported, which is to be expected with any large
gathering of people.


9. (C) According to our sources, until Haidar departed for
Spain on January 20, security forces were only allowing
relatives of Haidar to visit. Djimi recounted how she sat in
the middle of a car filled with Haidar's relatives in the
hopes of sneaking past; yet the police noticed her and asked
her to step out; one of Haidar's cousins from her maternal
side stopped by to visit, but because her last name was
different from Haidar's, she was not allowed access. In
another instance, one of Haidar's relatives came to pick up
Haidar to take her to the local hammam (Moroccan bathhouse).
The police stopped her and informed her that from now on,
they would need to fill out forms detailing where and with
whom Haidar would be travelling - even when simply around
Laayoune. After filling out some forms, they were allowed to
proceed to the hammam, but were apparently followed by four
vehicles.

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To be Pro-Morocco and Pro-Sahrawi?
--------------


10. (C) Surprisingly, Marouazi is not an ethnic Sahrawi, and
lives in the urban neighborhood of Agdal in Rabat. However,
she is very close to many Sahrawi activists. She noted that

though she may disagree with her Sahrawi friends and firmly
believes that Western Sahara is part of Morocco, she also
believes that everyone's human rights must be respected.
With a chuckle, she described how every encounter with El
Ghalia has ended in a disagreement over politics; yet she
confided that the two women, who have known each other for
quite a while, respect each other one hundred percent. She
believes that at the grassroots level, there is a great sense
of brotherhood amongst the Sahrawis and the Moroccans, but
she worried that the longer the conflict continues, the
better the government might become at dividing the people, in
order to strengthen itself. In various conversations with
Moroccans, PolOff has heard variations of anti-Sahrawi
sentiments that are almost always based on the fiscal burden
that Western Sahara poses on the Moroccan Government. In
some instances, many older Moroccans seem to believe that
before Morocco 'took over' Western Sahara, unemployment was
non-existent in Morocco; they believe that some of the blame
for the current economic condition in Morocco can be blamed
on the Sahara conflict.

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Comment
--------------


11. (C) The Mission will continue to follow the trials of
the seven Sahrawis arrested in Casablanca and events in
Laayoune. PolCouns plans on visiting Laayoune within the
month to confirm conditions in Laayoune since Haidar's
return. End Comment.


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