Moroccan authorities expel human rights defenders Ahmed Ettanji and Mohamed Mayara from occupied Cape Bojador

On 9 October 2024, the Moroccan authorities besieged, threatened to arrest, and expelled the human rights defenders Ahmed Ettanji and Mohamed Mayara from the town of Cape Bojador in occupied Western Sahara while they were in the town for a family visit.

Ahmed Ettanji and Mohamed Mayara are Sahrawi journalists and human rights defenders who advocate for the rights of the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara. Mohamed Mayara co-founded the ‘Sahrawi Association of Victims of Serious Human Rights Violations (ASVDH)’ in 2005 and the organisation ‘Équipe Média’ in 2009. These organisations work on documenting human rights violations committed by the Moroccan authorities in the occupied Western Sahara and raising international awareness about the Western Sahara cause. Ahmed Ettanji is the president of Équipe Média.

On 9 October 2024, the human rights defenders went to Cape Bojador town to visit family but upon arrival at the local checkpoint, they were held by the Moroccan authorities and released after an hour. Upon the arrival of the human rights defenders at the family's home, they were surprised to find the Moroccan police, including the Police Commissioner of Cape Bojador, the auxiliary forces and the occupation authorities, surrounding the place, threatening them with arrest and demanding that they immediately leave the house and the town. The host family was also intimidated and threatened with a search of their home because they hosted the human rights defenders. Consequently, the human rights defenders had to leave the town and were forced to return to the town of Laayoune.

The recent event isn’t an isolated one, but part of a pattern of restriction on freedom of movement and assembly, as well as the intimidations, harassment and reprisals against Western Saharan human rights defenders by the Moroccan authorities, which includes targeting those who support them.

Front Line Defenders believes that the targetting of Ahmed Ettanji and Mohamed Mayara is directly related to the fact that they are human rights defenders and journalists working on the documentation of human rights violations in the Western Sahara occupied territory. Front Line Defenders calls on the Morocco authorities to guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Western Sahara can carry out their human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, in line with Morocco international human rights obligations and commitments.