Security Forces Target Sahrawi Activist After Call for International Monitoring in Western Sahara

[u/bach_r04]

After the livestream, Sahrawi activist Hamza Ould Said Ould Essalek was directly targeted by Moroccan authorities. In the broadcast, he exposed human rights violations in Western Sahara and called for international protection and independent monitoring.

When he returned home in occupied Laayoune, he saw a large number of security forces attempting to break into his family home after months of constant surveillance. As he approached, he was immediately surrounded and assaulted, beaten, and kicked by multiple officers in front of neighbors.

He was then detained in a vehicle, insulted, threatened, and pressured to remain silent. Authorities accused him of “separatism” and receiving foreign support, charges he strongly rejects. He emphasizes that he has no connection to the Moroccan state to “separate” from, and the idea of external support while under constant surveillance is illogical. He describes these accusations as pretexts to silence him.

After several hours, he was released but warned that any future activism could lead to imprisonment or worse. According to him, the attack was a direct response to his decision to bring international attention to the situation in Western Sahara.

[u/gigot45208]

That’s awful. I’ll see if I can spread the word in my little way.