33 days after the beginning of their hunger-strike the lives of five imprisoned human rights activists from the West Sahara are in serious danger. The Society for Threatened Peoples STP (Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker GfbV) warned on Monday: "It is just a matter of days before the first of these political prisoners dies unless the Moroccan authorities do not finally react and assure them of the fair trials they have been calling for.”

Ali Salem Tamek, Brahim Dahane, Ahmed Nasiri, Yadih Ettarouzi and Rachhid Sghayer began their hunger-strike on 18th March 2010 and Saleh Lebaihi, the sixth human rights activist, has refused food since 5th April. The prisoners are being held in the prison of Salé near the capital of Rabat.

Morocco accuses the human rights activists of "treason” and "undermining the authority of the state” and intends to bring them before a military court. They were arrested on 8th October 2009 at the airport in Casablanca on their return from a visit to the neighbouring country of Algeria. There the Sahrawi human rights activists visited refugees from their country who are living in Western Sahara, which, contrary to international law, is occupied by Morocco.

With their hunger-strike the six political prisoners want to press for the speedy beginning of fair trials at civil courts. By a military court the human rights activists could be sentenced to death if the prosecution should argue that Morocco is involved in a war in Western Sahara against the liberation movement Polisario. The Moroccan authorities have not made any comments on the progress of the case since January.

32 other political prisoners from Western Sahara also in Moroccan custody have also gone on hunger-strike. The health of 13 of these Sahrawis is also in acute danger, for they began their hunger-strike between 20th and 23rd March.

In December 2009 the Sahrawi human rights activist Aminatou Haidar, whose citizenship has been withdrawn, now on the 32nd day of her hunger-strike, has on account of acute loss of fluid been transferred to hospital. Her case attracted attention throughout the world so that Morocco had finally to grant her permission to return to the country.

The STP Africa consultant, Ulrich Delius, will be glad to provide further information at asien@gfbv.de.

In Vienna Hans Bogenreiter for the STP-A will likewise be glad to supply information at tel. ++43 1 503 13 36.