The case of Sahrawi political prisoner Sidi Abdallah Abbahah, a member of the Gdeim Izik group, represents a chilling illustration of the systematic torture and repression exercised by the Moroccan state against Sahrawi political prisoners. Sentenced to life imprisonment following deeply flawed trials, Mr. Abbahah has been held in prolonged solitary confinement in Tiflet 2 prison since 2018 — a practice internationally recognized as a form of torture.
His case was brought before the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) by his lawyer, Maître Olfa Ouled, who has accompanied the case tirelessly. The CAT issued interim protection measures, later followed by a final decision recognizing the violation of Mr. Abbahah’s fundamental rights. Yet Morocco has openly defied the Committee’s decisions, ignoring its binding recommendations. Consequently, the CAT continues to monitor the case through follow-up communications, and the reprisals mechanism has also mentioned his situation — evidence of ongoing breaches of international law.
Despite the UN findings, Mr. Abbahah remains isolated, denied access to his lawyer, and never officially informed of the CAT’s decision or the subsequent follow-ups. Last weekend, in a desperate act of protest, Mr. Abbahah conducted a 48-hour protest fast to denounce the racist abuse, harassment by guards, and the continuous ill-treatment he faces. It is important to note that since his incarceration in 2010, Mr. Abbahah has carried out several lengthy hunger strikes, risking his health repeatedly to demand respect for his basic rights.
His physical and psychological health continues to deteriorate, exacerbated by the complete lack of medical care. After the protest fast, the prison director and guards escalated their retaliation, informing him that he would now be prohibited even from drinking tea — a further act of psychological harassment.
Medical literature unequivocally documents the severe and irreversible harm caused by prolonged solitary confinement. The ongoing isolation, harassment, and denial of basic human rights to Mr. Abbahah amount to continued torture, in flagrant violation of the Convention Against Torture, to which Morocco is a party. Although Morocco has also ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention and appointed a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), these ratifications have served merely as window-dressing to access more European Union funding, development aid, and political legitimacy — while torture and repression persist systematically and with total impunity.
The reality on the ground remains one of systemic, brutal repression, not only against Sahrawi political prisoners but also against Moroccan nationals imprisoned for political reasons. The situation of Sahrawi detainees is particularly egregious and extensively documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations, yet Morocco continues to disregard international norms with impunity.
Mr. Abbahah, now entering his fourteenth year of arbitrary detention, symbolizes the martyrdom of the Sahrawi political prisoners. His life, health, and dignity are being systematically destroyed while the world looks away. This cannot be allowed to continue.
The international community must urgently intervene to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Abbahah and all Sahrawi political prisoners. Continued silence only emboldens Morocco’s violations and deepens the suffering of those who stand for justice, dignity, and the right to self-determination.
