PUSL.- The Saharawi political prisoner Mohamed Lamin Haddi of the Gdeim Izik group, currently detained in Tiflet2, started a hunger strike today 12 January 2021 demanding the basic rights of any prisoner, namely medical attention and an end to the prolonged confinement in which he has been for more than 3 years.
Haddi, who since his arrest in 2010 has been in Moroccan prisons more than 1000 km from his homeland, Western Sahara, was sentenced to 25 years in two trials which did not respect the basic rules of procedure and did not prove at any time that a crime had been committed by Mohamed Lamin Haddi. These two trials were purely political and without any judicial independence from Moroccan political power.
As we reported earlier on 14 December 2020, in a brief telephone call with his family, Mohamed Lamin Haddi reported that all his belongings were confiscated from his cell in Tiflet2 prison in Morocco. His cell was invaded at about 9 am, the prison director who was present and in an arbitrary act of reprisal ordered that all Mr Haddi’s books, radio, clothes and other private belongings be confiscated.
The guards did not respect social distancing nor did they wear masks or gloves or other protective equipment related to the preventive measures against Covid.
Haddi, suffers from severe ulcers and is the victim of intentional medical negligence, torture, physical and psychological ill-treatment and harassment since his arrest in 2010.
In a statement sent by the family of Mohamed Lamin Haddi, the family expresses their deep concern about the situation of their son, mainly related to the prolonged solitary confinement and his health conditions and the inability of the family to make any visits forbidden during the pandemic to verify his detention conditions.
The family recalls that Mohamed Lamin Haddi has already gone on hunger strike several times in protest against the measures taken against him and the cruel treatment to which he is subjected.
The appeal is addressed to the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all international organisations concerned with human rights and calls for urgent action to protect Haddi from any retaliatory measures to which he may be exposed inside the local prison, Tiflet 2. They also call for all necessary pressure to be made on the Moroccan State and through the General Administration of Moroccan prisons, in order to provide adequate health care and to ensure the transfer of Mohamed Lamine Haddi , to a prison in Western Sahara close to his place of residence, El Aaiun and to hold all officials involved in the cruel mistreatment of him accountable.
