Urgent Action - Support the Oxford 6

6 students from the occupied territory of Western Sahara due to fly to the UK to attend a 2 week course on conflict resolution and cross-cultural understanding in Oxford have been interrogated and assaulted by the Moroccan Security Forces and prevented from travelling to the UK.

The students were due to fly on Tuesday morning but were prevented from getting on to the plane at Agadir Airport by the Moroccan police, despite the fact that they all hold valid UK visas. Following their hunger-strike at the airport in protest at their treatment, late on Wednesday evening the students were beaten and forced into a taxi by the Moroccan police. They were subsequently driven to the capital El Aaiun where there were interrogated and harassed at each checkpoint before being further interrogated at El Aaiun police station where they were verbally and physically assaulted.

After many gruelling hours the students were finally released in the early hours of Friday morning, however the Moroccan Police continue surveillance of them from outside their homes, and grave concerns for their safety remain. Despite this the students are still determined to come to England for the conference.

Morocco has continued to occupy Western Sahara for 34 years and human rights abuses by the Moroccan police against Saharawi citizens are well documented.

Morocco must not be allowed to continue to intimidate and abuse Saharawi citizens. It is now vital that this issue receives international attention to ensure the students’ safety.

Please send an urgent letter or fax to:

Mr.Abdelwahed Radi the Moroccan Minister of Justice, condemning the students’ treatment, calling on him to ensure they are allowed to travel in safety and calling for a full investigation.

Mr.Abdelwahed Radi

Minister of Justice
Place el Ammonia

485 Boulevard Mohammed V
Rabat
Morocco

Fax : 00212 3 7 70 20 74. Please copy the letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

 mail@maec.gov.ma

If you are a British Citizen please send an urgent letter or email to: The British Ambassador to Morocco Mr Timothy Morris at  Rabat.consular@fco.gov.uk calling for him to immediately intervene to investigate their treatment and ensure the students are allowed to travel safely to attend the remainder of the conference.

If possible please send the letter in your own words, however if you are unable, please use the template text below. When you have sent your letters or emails please forward a separate copy along with any response to  westernsahara@hotmail.co.uk. Please inform your friends and circulate this action as widely as possible. Many thanks.

Mr.Abdelwahed Radi

Minister of Justice
Place el Ammonia
485 Boulevard Mohammed V
Rabat
Morocco

Dear Mr Radi,

I am aware that 6 Saharawi students due to travel to the UK on Tuesday to take part in a conflict resolution programme run by a British organisation have been prevented from doing so by the Moroccan Police. I am also aware that they have suffered lengthy interrogation, harassment and assault. I have reason to fear for their safety. The students all have valid visas and have not been given a reason why they are not being permitted to travel to the UK.

The students are El Haouasi Nguia (19, female), Amaidane Maimouna (17, female), Hayat Rguibi (19 female ), Elassri Mohamed Fadel (24; male) Razouk Choummad (20; male) Mohamed Daanoun (20; male).

I am calling on you to undertake a full investigation into this matter and to ensure that the students are allowed to travel freely to the UK to attend the conference, in safety and without further harassment from the police. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely



CC Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
 mail@maec.gov.ma



HMA Mr Timothy Morris

British Embassy
28 Avenue S.A.R. Sidi Mohammed
Soussi 10105 (BP 45)
Rabat, Morocco

Dear Mr Morris,

I am asking for your assistance. 6 young people were due to fly to England on Wednesday 5th August to take part in a project on cross-cultural understanding and conflict resolution organised by the British organisation TalkTogether.

The students are El Haouasi Nguia (19, female), Amaidane Maimouna (17, female), Hayat Rguibi (19 female ), Elassri Mohamed Fadel (24; male) Razouk Choummad (20; male) Mohamed Daanoun (20; male).

When they reached the airport at Agadir the students were prevented from boarding their flight by the Moroccan police. They were given no reason for this. They then went on hunger strike at the airport in protest. That evening they were beaten, bundled into a taxi by the members of the Gendarmerie, their mobile phones were confiscated and they were driven to El Aaiun where they faced lengthy interrogation and assault.

They were later released, however their homes are currently under surveillance by the police, and fears for their safety still remain. They have not received an answer to why they were not allowed to visit the UK to participate in what was intended to be a positive project to share experiences and have a constructive dialogue with their counterparts from both Morocco and the Refugee camps.

I ask you to help to ensure their safety and ability to travel freely and ask you to take up this matter with the Moroccan authorities to ensure a full independent investigation of their treatment.

Yours sincerely



Further information:

The OXFORD SIX are:

· El Haouasi Nguia (19, female), Amaidane Maimouna (17, female), Hayat Rguibi (19 female ), Elassri Mohamed Fadel (24; male) Razouk Choummad (20; male) Mohamed Daanoun (20; male).

· The students were due to attend the workshop from 5th – 18th August in St Edward’s School, Oxford. The course will still go ahead with students from the UK, Norway, the Philippines and the refugee camps in Tindouf.

· The project is Funded by the EU Youth In Action programme and the British Council

· A 2008 report by Human Rights Watch found that Morocco has violated the rights to expression, association, and assembly in Western Sahara.

· A 2008 Amnesty International report found that “politically motivated administrative impediments have been used to prevent human rights groups obtaining legal registration and curtailing their scope of activities.”

· The dispute in Western Sahara is one of the longest running and most forgotten conflicts in the world. The country has been subject to an occupation by neighbouring Morocco despite rulings by the International Court of Justice and over 100 UN Resolutions. For the past 34 years 165,000 Saharawi refugees have been forced to live in refugee camps in the Algerian desert.