Persecuted human rights worker on hunger strike 19 days already – Europe must speak out to Morocco for her return to West Sahara

In great concern for the life of the human rights worker Aminatou Haidar from West Sahara, whose citizenship was withdrawn by Morocco in November 2009, the Society for Threatened Peoples STP (Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker GfbV) has asked the European Union EU to speak out on behalf of the 43-year old woman. In protest against the withdrawal of her citizenship the human rights worker began a hunger strike 19 days ago on the Spanish island of Lanzarote . "Ms. Haidar is now very weak since she only takes sweetened water”, reported the STP Africa consultant, Ulrich Delius, on Friday and warned: "If the worst came to the worst the whole peace process for West Sahara would be in acute danger.”

"The EU has always emphasised that it gives unconditional support for human rights in West Sahara, which is occupied by Morocco . Now it is time for actions to follow words if Europe is serious about its good intentions concerning the people in West Sahara ”, said Delius. It is clear that Morocco is not prepared to take action without pressure from the international community. A high-ranking representative of the Moroccan authorities said on Spanish television that an official apology is expected from Ms. Haidar because she has committed high treason and damaged Morocco ’s international standing. Her only crime, countered Delius to these charges, is that she has publicly criticised the occupation of West Sahara as being contrary to international law and providing information on the violations of human rights by Moroccan security forces. Haidar, who is often called the "Gandhi of the Sahauris”, was awarded the 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Prize and the 2009 Prize for Moral Courage in New York .

" Morocco ’s King Mohammed VI, who enjoys the reputation in Europe as a reformer and democrat, has troublesome human rights workers in West Sahara abducted, tortured and sentenced to long prison sentences”, criticised Delius. But the withdrawal of citizenship is never a lasting solution, as the example of many regime critics from the German Democratic Republic GDR has shown.

The STP Asia consultant, Ulrich Delius, can also answer questions at asien@gfbv.de